Miroku, Private Eye
by ArtisteFish
Summary: A 1930's style au: After a prohibition on the use of demonic powers, the West-side demons are finding new ways to prey on the East-side humans. When demon gangsters are pitted against prejudiced human courts, it's up to Private Investigator Miroku and his partner Sango to figure out who the real criminals are.
1. The PI's Office

Miroku, Private Eye

~A film noir-esque au taking place in an alternate 1930's setting~

* * *

The door to the shabby third floor office opened with a creak, the hinges protesting the entrance of a dark-haired woman into the room. The lights were off, the glow from the city street outside seeping through the drawn blinds to cast lines over the sleeping form of a man, his legs propped up on a well-organized desk, his chin resting against his chest.

The woman rolled her eyes, not at all surprised to find the Private Investigator snoozing, despite the relatively early hour. In the field of detective work, no one could compare with his quick reasoning and flawless deductions, and none could compete with his laziness either. Experience had made Sango an expert at moving with stealth, and her heeled boots made no noise against the old wood floor as she made her way to her sleeping partner.

Switching on the small desk lamp, the space before her flooded with yellow light, but the sleeping man didn't stir. She could hear his steady breaths and see his peaceful features in the lamp's glow, and her previous look of annoyance suddenly became a devious smile. Silently she untucked a thick stack of papers and folders from her bag, lifted them high over the surface of the desk, and with a smirk slammed them onto the hardwood surface.

Miroku yelped, his feet dropping to the floor and shoulders jumping as he scrambled to right himself in his small office chair. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Miroku looked up at his partner with a sheepish expression, ignoring her arched eyebrow and disapproving frown as he said cheerfully "Morning Beautiful!"

"It's 7 at night, as if you didn't already know. Come on, you've got work to do." She pushed the stack of papers across the desk toward him, and Miroku sighed morosely. "Sango, dearest, didn't you tell our clients that I would be unreachable for the next week? What's Havana going to do without me?"

"I'm sure they could all use a break from you Miroku." Sango chided, not in the least bit apologetic about ruining his frankly extravagant and expensive trip. "Besides, it's not just our regular clients this time – it's Kagome."

Miroku slumped back in his chair, exhaling a heavy breath as he watched his vacation figuratively fly out the window. 'So much for Cuba'.

"And what hopeless case has she taken on this time? Any chance of her winning?"

Sango smiled, all too familiar with their friend's habit of taking on impossible cases, and said sincerely "Only if you can work your magic."

Plucking the top sheet of paper from the pile, Miroku looked over the rundown of the court case in question, scratching his chin in thought as he absorbed the information. "The name is Jinenji… suspected of multiple homicides… quite a few complaints against this fellow… and no shortage of evidence."

"Take a closer look though" Sango said brusquely, grabbing for some sheets further down in the pile, "It's all circumstantial, and the witnesses are highly suspect. They don't have a very strong case against him, but the problem is that there's absolutely nothing evidence-wise in his favor. Kagome's pretty determined to win this one though."

Miroku scratched his head, already feeling the headache this case was bound to bring on. "What's her incentive with this one? Another battle against the honorable and ever-prejudiced Judge Ungai?"

"Not exactly – take another look at that bio."

Scanning the splotchy typing on the paper, a smile quirked Miroku's lip as he said in amusement "Oh I see! So he's a half-demon!"

Sango smiled and said fondly "As if she could ignore a half-demon in a bind."

"Well it worked out so well the first time!"

"You leave those two alone, Miroku" Sango said sharply, her hand resting on her hip, "He's had a hard life and she's put herself under a lot of heat to help him out. Besides, if he hears you teasing them again he might start to make good on his threats."

"I've survived so far, I'll take my chances. Which reminds me, have you already contacted our dear bloodhound?"

Both Miroku and Sango jumped as a clear voice rang out from the doorway "His name is Inuyasha, and if you call him that again, I'll snitch on you personally."

Miroku's smile widened even further as Kagome hurried into the room; he could never be sure if the bounce in her step was from her bubbly personality or nerves over the danger she always seemed to be in. "Why Kagome, so nice of you to join us!"

With a grunt the young defense attorney hoisted the enormous briefcase she had been carrying onto the desk, the resounding thud making everyone flinch. Slumping over slightly to catch her breath, Kagome brushed her dark bangs from her eyes before straightening up to face her friends. She sent a happy smile to Sango and a serious look to Miroku as she said in a rush "I just wanted to make sure you looked over the case and got all the details. It's really urgent that we get this cleared up as soon as possible! The court isn't going to wait forever, and I'm worried about what the neighborhood will do to Jinenji if we don't figure this out fast."

"Of course, of course" Miroku said with his usual calm, and Kagome couldn't help but relax at the easy confidence in his tone "We'll get on this right away. I'll read through these tonight and start looking into things in the morning. You just make sure to tell me when my deadline is."

Kagome smiled at that, saying with a bit of relief "So you can swoop in and save the day at the last minute, am I right?" He sent her a dazzling wink, and she rolled her eyes in response.

"Sango, you'll make sure he goes through all of this, won't you?"

At the young girl's imploring gaze, Sango nodded and said "Don't worry Kagome, we'll take care of it. Miroku even willingly gave up a week-long vacation in Havana to take on your case!"

Miroku ignored the incredulous look from the attorney, his expression wronged as he said "You say that as if I'd think to do otherwise!"

"We know you'd never let us down Miroku, but… we also know you're pretty good at finding loopholes." Kagome laughed, "Don't go trying to interview suspects in Cuba now. Sango will tell me if you're getting distracted, and I'll be sure to pass it on to Inuyasha."

"Speaking of Inuyasha" Miroku said suddenly, eager to change the subject and get the two demanding broads off his back "Have you already given him the low-down? I'm sure he'd be eager to help."

Kagome actually blushed, her eyes dropping nervously as she said in a squeaky voice "Ah, yes actually! I uh… just saw him. You see… we met for dinner. To talk about Jinenji of course. He's going to search for the real killer while we're looking for evidence."

Sango hid her smirk behind her hand, and Miroku actually managed to keep a straight face as he said "Excellent! He'll probably crack this faster than any of us. Do you think the demons are involved in this?"

Kagome tapped at her chin in thought, saying "I'm not sure… it seems like the only parties involved are humans, but the culprit is most likely a demon… I haven't seen any evidence of mob ties yet, thank goodness."

"Yeah, that's the last thing we need" Sango sighed, pulling a chair across the desk from Miroku and settling in with huff. The demon population was under strict regulations to stay uninvolved with humans. Even with their powers being policed and contained with ofudas, the ones who wanted to start trouble always found a way to do so; and that always spelled more work for them.

"I'll leave you to it then. But call my office first thing tomorrow and let me know what you've found! The next court date is set for two weeks from today, so the sooner we turn something up, the better."

With a wave Kagome left, her heavy briefcase swinging and kitten-heels clicking as she walked away. Sango noticed the dazed look on her partner as he watched the girl's swaying pencil-skirt-clad hips disappear round the corner, and promptly smacked him with a stack of the papers he was supposed to be reading. His innocent smile was met with a shake of the head from the woman across from him, and the two fell into silence as they scoured the case files for the half-demon murder suspect.

* * *

*Author's Note:

Not much to say about this other than I had a ton of fun writing this and hope you had fun reading it. :3

Also, InuKag are more or less and official item in this - MirSan are gonna take a little longer to get together, since they're the focus (it's different from what I usually do, but I wanted to give writing MirSan a try!)

Also, the next chapter will have a lot more 1930's slang in it, and I'll try to include a glossary of sorts at the end in case you're unfamiliar with the terms or words or whatever, and I'm sorry if there's any slang in this first part that I missed.


	2. The Clip-Joint

Miroku, Private Eye

~The Clip-joint~

* * *

"Go on, ask me again."

"How 'bout you and me go pitch some woo back at my place doll?"

Yura's high-pitched giggle was positively grating, but Miroku forced a charming smile anyways; her 'dizzy-dame' façade masked her dangerous persona, and Miroku couldn't afford to get on her bad side. She was the best lead he had so far.

"You're sure a cute one, even if you are a human." Her red eyes were sparkling and her ruby lips pulled into a sneering smile. Miroku was flirting with disaster, but with how her sharp black bob framed her lovely pointed face and the way her sleek black dress hugged her curvy figure, he wasn't about to complain.

"We humans have our perks you know. You should try us some time." At his dazzling wink, Yura gave him a coy look and purred "Buy me a drink and I might consider it."

Swiveling on his bar stool to face the demon behind the counter, Miroku called out a jovial "You heard the lady Hachi" before returning his attention to his black haired companion. The Raccoon-dog barkeep sighed, not even bothering to ask who would pay. Miroku was a good friend and always there for you in a pinch, but he wasn't above pulling favors, and the outrageous tab he kept at the Tanuki Club was poor Hachi's constant reminder of all the times the Private Eye had saved his hide. With how high the tab had run over the years, the raccoon-dog should have been worried, but nine times out of ten the drinks were for a lady – Miroku never drank on the job.

"So what was it you wanted to talk to me about this time?" The red bow of her lips almost distracted him from the calculating glint in her eyes, but he wasn't so easily fooled. They both knew why he was here – now he just had to get her to admit to it.

"You were seen over on the east-side Yura. That's not good – you're likely to get that pretty head of yours into trouble if you go wondering outside the boundaries."

Yura's look of mock-surprise would have fooled any other man, but not the trained PI. "Why Mister Miroku, you know we demons aren't allowed on the east-side! Why would sweet, defenseless Yura go into human neighborhoods?" Her big innocent eyes turned sultry as she said with a smile "Besides, there's never any fun over there. Those humans are nothing but a bunch of bores."

"I'm glad to hear you're not my culprit. Those dozens of eye-witnesses must have been mistaken." He took a casual swig of his sarsaparilla, watching the hair-demon's uncomfortable shifting out of the corner of his eye. He hid a smirk around the edge of his glass – he had her right where he wanted her.

"I'm serious darling, I've been on the level!" She leaned on the counter, daring fingers reaching out to trace his lapels as she cooed "You believe me, don't you Miroku? I haven't harmed any humans, honest!"

He tapped absently on his glass, his face a perfect mask of innocent indulgence as he said in a voice dripping with charm "Of course doll, I know your rep." The slight twitch of her eyebrow alerted him he was heading into dangerous territory, and he hastily corrected with "I mean how could I not believe one of my best girls? You've never caused me a bit of trouble." 'Not directly anyways….'

Sending him a winning smile, she leaned back languidly on her stool, and Miroku had to mentally slap himself back to attention to catch her next words "Keep talking sugar."

'Good. I've got her'. It was always risky going to her for information, but Miroku always won their battle of banter, and every time he'd get her to sing like a canary. "I can't help but worry that someone might have it out for you though, setting you up like that." He threw in a sympathetic pout to make sure she took the bait, then reeled her in with "Anyone have it out for you lately? I'd hate for them to get away with this."

He held in a triumphant shout as her eyes blazed with anger and she growled "Who isn't out to get poor little Yura? They all think I'm some kinda fool they can put all the heat on, but they've got another thing coming!"

"Indeed. How cruel of them to make such assumptions." 'C'mon, names Yura; names!'

"Don't I know! Those Thunder Brothers are on the East-side almost every night, and no one ever says a thing! They've been recruiting other demons to go out there with 'em you know. They even invited little Yura, but I told 'em to take a hike, believe me!"

"Of course." He really didn't care anymore if she was involved or not – if this case traced back to the Thunder Brothers, they'd have a bigger mess than he'd planned on. "But with so big a group, you'd think someone would have seen them."

"It's not for murdering though – they've got some other scheme cooking, but they wouldn't tell me about it. They just said it'd pay off in the end. And even if someone had seen them, you know it'd never reach the papers. That Kagura's got her favorites, and she knows all the strings to pull."

"Right… Kagura." He'd forgotten about the reporter, who had somehow made it to the top of the journalist scene, despite being a demon. Everyone guessed her sudden rise to power had more to do with intimidation than with exceptional talent, and it was no secret that you wanted to stay on her good side at all costs.

"Hey… Miroku baby…."

Miroku was pulled out of his musings to see Yura reaching for something in her purse, eventually producing an expensive looking cigar. Twirling it in her fingers, she offered it to him, and he took it with a bemused look.

"For being such a good listener, and sticking up for little Yura." She batted her eyelashes at him flirtatiously, and he was immediately suspicious.

He hid his misgivings with a grin and pocketed the cigar, sliding his now empty glass across the bar to his glowering raccoon-dog friend. He stood and offered a hand to help Yura down as well, but she declined. "The night's still young, why don't you stay?"

Perhaps he once would have taken her up on the offer, but wasn't nearly as naïve as he used to be, and with the information he'd just got, he knew this was no time for playing. "Some other time Yura. Keep your nose clean, doll."

He didn't spare her another glance as he left the club, strolling down the near empty street lit by yellow lamp posts and flickering signs. The night was quiet, but Miroku knew better than to let his guard down. He kept his hands in his pockets, one fingering the handle of his pistol. He wasn't quite out of the demon's side of town yet, and wouldn't feel safe until he was back in the small apartment over the office. He'd much rather have gone to stay with Sango, who lived in a comfortable human neighborhood but, well… he already knew what her response would be to _that_.

By the time Miroku made it back to the shabby building that housed his business and the small space he called home, he couldn't help the loud sigh of relief that escaped him at being back indoors. That walk home had felt just a little more nerve-wracking than usual, and he didn't want to wait around to find out why.

Tossing his black overcoat over the armchair, Miroku kicked off his shoes and all but fell onto the sofa of his one-room apartment. With a contented sigh he closed his eyes and laced his hands over his chest, more than ready to catch a bit of shut-eye. His smile fell though at the silence of the room around him, and not for the first time, Miroku wished he had a lovely lady to share the space with. For all his flirting he never got very far – it was dangerous to have a dame, and even if he wanted to bring a girl back to his place, with his beat-up armchair and worn-down sofa, there really wasn't room to share.

What he wouldn't give though to have a girl by his side… a certain mauve-eyed, brown-haired beauty with a fearless attitude and the body of a goddess….

Miroku nearly whimpered at the unfairness of it all: the most beautiful, powerful woman he'd ever met was the one most out of reach. She was his partner, his task-master, and most of all his friend, but she spurned his advances at every turn, and any indication he ever gave that they should get a little more familiar was promptly met with a sharp slap to the face.

'One day…' he thought glumly, 'one day she'll change her tune. I'm not a bad guy… I've got plenty going for me. One day… she'll see that.'

He huffed, unlacing his fingers and tapping in frustration against his chest, when he noticed something in the breast-pocket of his vest. Curiosity taking over, Miroku pulled Yura's gifted cigar from his pocket and reached over to pull the cord on the nearby lamp to get a better look at it.

Miroku wasn't one to smoke – he'd tried it once and decided once was enough – but something about this cigar had been nagging at him ever since Yura had placed it in his hand, and he couldn't make himself throw it away. It looked like any other cigar he'd ever seen, but appearances could be deceiving.

He pulled the glove he always wore on his right hand off to handle the smoke better, ignoring the small but eerily perfect hole in the center of his palm. Demon-powered bullets were as illegal as you could get, but the demon who'd had it out for his family since his grandfather didn't play by the rules, and had made sure to mark Miroku in the same way he'd marked the other men in his family. The shot had deadened some of his nerves and permanently numbed some of his fingers, but expertly missed his bones. The hole had never quite healed right though, leaving him with a ghastly reminder that someone was out for his blood…. Miroku shook the thoughts from his head, turning his attention back to the little rolled object in his hand, and brought it close to his nose to take a whiff.

But before the cigar could make it anywhere near his nose, it was suddenly gone from his grasp. His ears had barely caught the whistle of something flying through the air before a dull thud against the wall to his side called his attention to a large dagger pinning the gifted cigar into the wood.

"I've told ya Miroku, if you're that eager to die, I'd gladly do it myself."

Despite the open threat, Miroku visibly relaxed at the familiar gruff tone of his friend. "It's been a while Inuyasha! I almost thought you'd forgotten me!"

The half-demon scoffed, crossing the room to tug the dagger from the wall, the cigar still impaled on its point like a sausage on a stick. "What kinda gangs you been hanging with, Miroku? This is some serious poison." Pulling the cigar from its point, Inuyasha took a quick whiff before pulling a disgusted face. Without wasting time, he headed for the window, unlatched it, and promptly tossed the object out into the night.

Miroku watched in amusement as the half-demon dusted his hands, walking back over to the other man to plop down beside him on the couch.

Inuyasha didn't say a word as he wiped the weathered dagger on his overcoat and re-sheathed it in the modified gun-holster against his side, hidden by his oversized tan coat. Miroku waited for his friend to speak, but as the half-demon did nothing but lean further into the cushions with his arms behind his head, Miroku figured any conversation would be left up to him.

"So… going to tell me what that was all about?"

Inuyasha didn't even bother to open his eyes as he said "That thing was full of poisonous demon herbs. As if snipes aren't bad enough already…. Where'd you get something like that anyways?"

"Yura gave it to me…." Miroku said absently, his mind reeling with the new information. Why that little minx! 'Not involved' she'd said… he'd have to be more careful around her from now on.

Inuyasha barked out a laugh, saying disdainfully "Why you been wasting time schmoozin' that broad? She'd stab you in the back soon as look at ya! I wouldn't get near her with a ten-foot pole."

"I did manage to get some news from her though" Miroku said conspiratorially, eager to defend his investigative methods, "seems the Thunder Brothers have been rounding up demons to go cause trouble in human territory. She said they invited her along and she declined, but from that little gift she gave me, I'm guessing she's not as innocent as pretended to be."

"You think?" Inuyasha said sarcastically, pulling his dagger out again and testing the edge against his finger.

Miroku felt his temper flare at the other man's judging attitude, but he managed to say with relative calm "Well, have _you_ found anything worthwhile? Or have you just been trailing your kitten around town again?"

"You leave Kagome outta this, flatfoot." Inuyasha growled, his dagger suddenly an inch from miroku's nose, "I trail her to keep her safe. There're lots of demons out there who'd love to off her, and the only reason she's able to keep doin' her job is because those goons know they'd have to get through _me_ first."

Carefully pushing the blade out of his face, Miroku said in a more congenial tone "We all appreciate what you do my friend, none more so than Kagome. But right now what she needs most is your help on this case with the half-demon, and I need all the help I can get with cracking 'who done it'."

Inuyasha scoffed and leaned back into the cushions, the dagger still in his grasp. "I already figured it out. There're freshly hatched eggs in the sewers under the neighborhood. Demon spawn have been eating humans, and Jinenji's been taking the fall."

Miroku's eyes went wide, astonished at how easily his friend had solved the mystery, but then again, the half-demon was aided by his super-human senses. 'Must come in handy' he thought.

"Sooo… no connections to Yura or the Thunder Brothers then?"

Inuyasha shook his head, saying with disinterest "Nope, they're some kind of 'bug' demon. Nothing very sentient. Strange they'd be in the sewer though – they like the damp in the tunnels sure enough, but there ain't much for them to eat down there."

"Which is probably why they turned to humans for food…" Miroku said thoughtfully, scratching his chin and staring off to the wall. 'So they're connected to the murders, but not to the demons sneaking around town… but then, those demons weren't connected to the murders in the first place… but they _are_ connected to those demon-herb cigars… cigars they're handing out to _humans_ ….'

Suddenly Miroku's thoughtful scratching stopped and his eyes went wide. A grin began to etch its way onto his face, and with a snap of his fingers he stood, startling Inuyasha who had been starting to doze.

"That's it! Those demons have nothing to do with Yura, but that means _everything_!"

Inuyasha's dark eyebrows disappeared into his choppy silver bangs as he sputtered out "Huh? You gone whacky Miroku?"

The dark-haired man began to pace, his tone growing more excited as he began putting the pieces together. "You said it was strange for those demons to be in the sewers – well it _would_ be strange, because they were _placed_ there! As a distraction! They cause an uproar over murder in a town where a half-demon just happens to live, and all the blame is automatically pinned to him. In the meantime, Jinenji's been telling us his neighbors have been stealing his plants to spite him, but it hasn't been the _neighbors_ , it's been the gang of demons! Jinenji grows all sorts of herbs meant for humans _and_ demons, and with the murder trial going on, no one's bothered to listen about some missing plants. Then these demons take the pilfered plants, roll 'em into cigars, and hand them out to humans who can't handle the toxins and, well… not sure yet what the cigars do, but you and I both know that Yura didn't give me that roll out of the kindness of her heart. You dig?"

"I 'spose so…" Inuyasha mumbled, his expression drawn as he worked through all the details Miroku had just laid out.

"It's what's up, I tell you." Miroku hurried to the small desk against the wall, pulling a sheet of scribbled on paper and a pen, furiously jotting down notes. He called over his shoulder "You crashing here tonight?"

Inuyasha colored a bit. Having no family (none that he wanted to associate with anyways) Inuyasha was a drifter, sleeping anywhere he could find and only when it was absolutely necessary. The fact that Miroku assumed he'd come to take shelter dug at his pride, but on the other hand, he was grateful to have someone willing to take him in. He wasn't used to having friends, but he liked it. "Yeah. Still got that extra blanket?"

"Sure do, and I need you to do something for me." Finishing up his notes, Miroku turned to Inuyasha with a devious smile, and Inuyasha recoiled at the sight. "Tomorrow morning, get on the horn to your girl and tell her to meet you for a day on the town. I've got some spots I need you to check out, and it'll go smoother if you're with Kagome."

Turning away to hide his grin, Inuyasha said brashly "As if I care. She'll probably be bogged down in paperwork."

"Well then I'm sure she'll appreciate the break" Miroku said with a smile, happy to give the half-demon a job he knew he'd enjoy. "Now shut up and go to sleep – I've got a lot of work tomorrow morning, and I'm not staying up to listen to you prattle on about your doll all night."

Inuyasha scoffed at his friend's teasing, but Miroku grinned as he heard the dog-eared man utter an excited 'Hot-damn!' under his breath.

* * *

*Author's Note:

Okay, so to define some of these crazy 30's terms and phrases (mostly accurate, but maybe look them up as well)

clip-joint: an over-priced or shady club

dizzy-dame: a problematic girl - basically trouble if you get involved, not the smartest of women probably

Pitch some woo: do the nasty, make love, whatever you wanna call it

Doll, Kitten, Dame, Broad: all terms for women

on the level: telling the truth

snipes: cigarettes

schmoozing: kissing up to

Flatfoot: a detective

whacky: crazy

dig: understand

oh, and 'Hot-damn' can be used to express an exciting or lucky situation. :3

Hope those help! :) Now then, I'm not sure when this will be updated or added to. I literally wrote both these chapters in the past two days, and I have no idea when inspiration for the next part will hit me. So... I'll try to keep working on it, but I'm also working on another au "Freak Attraction", and that's taking most of my attention. With the way I work though, you never know.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!


	3. Lady Callers

Miroku, Private Eye

Chapter 3: Lady Callers

* * *

The sirens blaring down in the street outside the office provided a welcome distraction to the scratching of the pen in Sango's hand. She'd been filling out reports since lunch and it was already nearing 6, but Jinenji's court hearing was only a couple days away, and every second mattered.

Slapping the pen to the desk as she finished another sentence, Sango leaned back in a long stretch, her old work chair creaking as she worked out the kinks in her back. For once she was grateful her partner wasn't at the office with her – he never missed a chance to ogle her, and right now she was just too tired to smack him for it.

Not that she really welcomed his absence; he was an interesting conversationalist, had a quick wit, and truly cared to listen to her when she had something to share. He just happened to have wandering eyes, and Sango had a short fuse.

She knew him well enough to know he valued her as more than just a pretty face, and honestly, she might not have minded the attention… if only he were more choosy in who he handed it out to.

A sharp rap at the door frame and the clatter of the glass pane as the door swung wildly startled Sango out of her chair, but at the sound of a young female voice calling out her partner's name, she moodily sat back down.

"Miroku! Oh Miroku, I need your –"

"He's not here." In the back of her mind, Sango wondered if perhaps she shouldn't at least _try_ to sound pleasanter; then again, this was the _fifth_ woman to burst into the office today, and their reasons were just getting stupider. "I lost my pocket-book" or "I lost my cat" were tried and true, and the last one to try that day had gone for broke and pulled "I lost my heart and I think I left it with you". Sango was _beyond_ through with handling Miroku's army of love-struck broads. Another perk to him being out? Once they realized their wooer was gone, the girls all promptly left.

This one however was still waiting.

The sound of sniffles reached Sango's ears, and she turned to see a slim young girl with a sad, innocent face softly crying into a handkerchief, her stylish brown curls pulled back with an elegant hairpiece. Sango fidgeted self-consciously, absently brushing away her long, straight ponytail as it fell over her shoulder. She never cared to spend the time other women did with their hair; in her line of work, there wasn't time, and the up-do would never hold through a day's work anyways. Still… she couldn't help but envy how easily other women seemed to carry themselves with such grace and style and femininity.

She'd worked her fingers to the bone to make something of herself in this testosterone-driven world, and held her head high with self-respect in the presence of men of power, but sometimes she felt a little too much like 'one of the gang', and too little like she'd never be someone's 'girl'.

Sighing in exasperation, Sango said as neutrally as she could "Can I help you with something?"

Taking this as her cue, the girl rushed into the room, falling into a chair against the wall as she began to cry harder into the already soaked square of cloth. "Oh I don't know what to do anymore, I just don't know! When will Miroku be back? I'm in desperate need of his help!"

Sango shrugged, saying in an annoyed tone "Who knows? He doesn't exactly hold regular hours." At the continued crying Sango's eyes softened, and she asked with sincerity "Why don't you tell me your problem, and I'll see what I can do in his place? Alright?"

The girl looked up with watery eyes, hiccupping slightly, but eventually she lowered her handkerchief and began in wobbly voice "If you could be of any assistance, it would mean so much to me and my family." She paused, her fingers twiddling as she collected her wits and said in a soft voice "My name is Shima. I've lived in this city my whole life, and just a few years ago I became very sick. No doctors could treat my sickness, or even discover what was wrong. My parents suspected that somehow demons were the source of my ailment, and hired Miroku to investigate the matter. He found the demon, but the cost of his services was so high that my father was forced into debt to pay it! He… he managed to make the money up in a gamble, but the gamble was against another demon, and…" Shima choked on a sob, covering her face with the cloth again as she fought to regain her composure.

Sango tapped her foot impatiently, hoping her partner would get back soon so she could give him a piece of her mind. Once again he had thrown them under the bus with his greedy tendencies. Honestly, sometimes she wasn't sure if his services were actually a help or a hindrance to the poor city.

By the time Shima had calmed herself enough to continue, Sango was only half listening as she plotted ways to teach the flagrant man a lesson. "The demon gave us the money for the case, but in return… in return he asked… that…" Her voice caught again, and all in a rush cried "he asked that I become his wife!"

The hand Sango had been leaning against fell out from under her at the exclamation, her attention now fully back on the crying girl. "You're joking!"

"I wish I was!" Shima cried, tears streaming down her face. She blew her nose daintily, and when her eyes once again met Sango's there was a small glint of hope in them. "There might be a way out of it though!" She whispered, and something in her hopeful look set Sango on edge. It could have been all in her head, but Sango had the sinking feeling that whatever the girl's solution was, she wouldn't like it. "After the case was solved, Miroku came to say goodbye, and he told me that once I was better, I should come look him up." The blush that spread across her cheeks at that set off warning bells in Sango's mind. And here she'd been hoping this girl would be different….

Shima's eyes lowered to the floor, her rosy blush lighting her twitter-pated face, and she finished in a dreamy voice "He said that one day… maybe I could be his girl."

Sango held back a scream. She was ready to punch something. She hoped Inuyasha crossed her path before Miroku did, because while the half-demon could take a beating from her and still be standing at the end, with the way she felt now she'd probably put the detective in the hospital. Emotions boiled up in her: anger, frustration, annoyance, and a little green monster that she didn't want to admit was jealousy.

So the PI had never asked _her_ to be his girl… what did she care? If he wanted to have flings with any dumb broad who crossed his path, let him. It… it wasn't like he'd ever think of her in that way… she shouldn't have wanted him to.

"And what does Miroku have to do with your father's debt? We don't handle that kind of thing you know. Try a broker."

Shima didn't seem to notice the growl in Sango's voice, as a smile crossed her face and she said airily "Miroku is the only one who can help me now! I'm only eligible to marry this demon as long as I'm single and unmarried, and… well… I've come to take Miroku up on his offer! I'll be his girl, we'll get engaged, and eventually I'll be his wife!"

The urge to roll her eyes at the over-simplistic solution was at war with the desire to go hide in the other room and never come out again. But as much as she wanted to, she wouldn't run away. Sango didn't run from anything.

"Like I said" Sango huffed, tapping her pen angrily, not noticing the black splotches speckling the report she'd spent a whole hour writing, "Miroku's not here. I don't know when he _will_ be here. So if you don't wanna wait up all night, I suggest you go home and –"

"I'll wait."

There was small snap, and Sango cursed in her mind to see she'd actually broken the pen-tip this time. "Suit yourself." With resolution she didn't know she had, Sango turned away from the pretty, innocent, love-struck young girl on the chair waiting patiently for her 'knight' to come save her, and turned back to her desk to write.

The ink now covering her report was the last straw, and Sango gave up the desk-work to sit and ponder how best to go about getting a punching bag for the office and in which corner to put it.

* * *

*Author's Note:

There's kind of a central story-line to this, but it's mainly gonna be a lot of bits and pieces of different cases and different clients; Detective work isn't linear anyways, right?

So, here's another chapter, out much much sooner than I thought it would be. That's probably how it's gonna go too: I'll get random ideas for story snippets, jot em down, post em, and by the end this won't make a lick of sense. :P

Thanks for reading anyways! ;)


	4. Learning to Apologize

Miroku, Private Eye

~Chapter Four: Learning to Apologize~

* * *

"Fight me."

Inuyasha paused in the middle of unbuttoning his coat to stare at Sango incredulously. He had barely taken two steps into the office before she met him with raised fists. "Why should I?"

"Because Bloodhound, it's either fight _you_ now or kill _Miroku_ later." She saw him frown at the nickname, and smirked triumphantly; but she hadn't won yet.

"You're really on one today. What'd he do, cop-a-feel in public again? Or did you just catch him neckin' with some broad?" He brushed past her to hang his coat on a hook, ignoring her obvious fighting stance. "Just take out your anger on the dart-board like usual."

"Darts aren't helping." Sango said brusquely, and Inuyasha looked behind him to see the board, usually plastered over with a wanted poster of Mob-boss Naraku's face, now covered in darts, scissors, and any other pointy object the office had to offer.

"Apparently not…" Inuyasha mused, heading over to the PI's desk as Sango trailed after him.

"I'm serious Inuyasha, I need to blow off some steam."

"And I'm tellin' you, no. I got business." Turning his back on her, he picked up the telephone on the desk, carefully spinning the dial for the numbers he needed.

"Oh yeah, sure. Business." Sango said mockingly. Her sympathy was spent up last night waiting around the office with Shima for Miroku, who had never showed. She'd eventually had to kick the poor girl out so she could lock up and go home herself. "You're just calling Kagome again and we both know it."

"Shaddup." He grumbled, but the blush on his face told her she was right on the money. Sango crossed her arms, glaring silently at the half-demon as he waited impatiently for the call to go through. He stood alertly as someone answered the phone; although the receiver couldn't reach the pointed ears atop his head, the canine appendages were more than able to pick up the voices on the other end. "I need to talk to Kagome."

'As usual' Sango thought 'he doesn't bother with pleasantries.' Realizing she probably wouldn't be getting a fight out of him anytime soon, Sango morosely walked back to the dart-board, tugging the darts and other paraphernalia from it and stepping back to resume her game.

"Whaddaya mean she's busy? Tell her it's important!" There was a pause as whoever was helping the half-demon answered, and Sango looked back amusedly to see the man becoming more and more agitated. "Nevermind who I am, I've got information for her… for her _case_ ya stupid… who is this anyways? Oh _Hojo_ , huh? Well Hojo, if ya don't wanna lose your measly office job, you'll get your boss and put her on the line _now_! …Thanks."

Sango expertly threw her dart dead center as Inuyasha waited impatiently for the defense attorney to answer, and she turned to him saying casually "Care to join me?"

He sent her a glare, but it lacked bite. She could tell he was considering, but was choosing to wait it out on the phone first. He could have done both, if only the phone cord would reach. His attention turned back to the phone suddenly, and Sango saw his brief smile morph into a furious frown as he sputtered "What the hell – Kouga!? What're you doin' with my girl? … Whaddaya mean you have a meeting? She didn't tell me… Oh, spur of the moment, well ain't that convenient."

Sango pinned a few more darts to the board, throwing them into a perfectly spaced arrangement surrounding the bullseye. If Kouga was at the office, the conversation would likely go on for a while. The Wolf-Demon attorney was fairly reliable as far as demons went, and usually on the level, but he'd made it painfully obvious that Kagome was 'his type of girl', and consequently Inuyasha had labeled him as public enemy No.1. Kagome and Kouga inevitably met fairly often to discuss overlapping cases and city judicial concerns, but in Inuyasha's mind Kouga was just making excuses and Kagome was being naïve.

Sighing at the inevitable screaming-match, Sango went back to throwing her darts. She had been imagining a different dark-haired man in place of the picture already on the board, and her ire from earlier at her partner was rekindling.

"Look, I don't care what problems you got goin' on you daisy, I want you outta that office before I come down there and _throw_ you out! … That a challenge, Flea-bag? You watch your back, or one of these days you'll find yourself sleepin' with the fishes in a wooden overcoat with my shiv in your back! …Why you no-good, lousy crumb – Wha- Kitten? Hey, put Kouga back on, I aint' done with him yet! … Yeah, I know, Hojo said the same thing… I know, but… dammit, what's that wolf doin' over there anyways?"

Her darts all spent, Sango paused in collecting them to look back at the fuming half-demon, who was quicky losing steam as Kagome chewed him out over the phone. Sango smiled, happy to know her friend was standing up for herself. They all loved Inuyasha in their own way, but he was more often than not too impulsive and hot-headed and jealous for his own good. 'Not that I'm one to talk' Sango thought sourly, as she aimed another perfect shot right for imagined-Miroku's roguish smile. A flash of Shima's blushing face from last night popped into her head, and this time the dart landed between his eyes.

Inuyasha stood silently by the phone now, looking for all the world like a kicked puppy as Kagome kept lecturing him. He tried to put in a word every now and then, but promptly shut up as she added another point to her argument – she wasn't an attorney for nothing. She seemed to have finally finished as Inuyasha spoke up in a hopeful tone "So… can I still see you tonight?" Even Sango could hear the girl's answering scream of frustration, and Inuyasha winced, holding the phone as far away as possible. With a growl he brought it back to his mouth, yelling into the receiver "I ain't gonna apologize to Kouga, got it? … Well _FINE_! If that's the way you want it, you can just go out to dinner with _him_! See if I care!"

He slammed the receiver back onto the desk, and the cracking sound the accompanied it made Sango grimace. If he had broken their office phone over a silly argument – Sango didn't even have time to finish the thought as suddenly Inuyasha pulled his knife from his holster and flung it at the board, impaling it in the wall up to the hilt. Sango looked slowly from the dagger back to the seething ex-con, holding her breath as he met her wary gaze.

"Well?" He growled expectantly, "We gonna fight or what?"

Sango smirked as she rolled up her sleeves and began to circle him, instinctively falling into a fighting crouch. Inuyasha sized her up briefly before he threw his first punch, and Sango dodged with ease. He was fast and unsurpassed in brute strength, but she was trained for fighting, and always had the upper-hand on him when it came to technique. She could see his hits from miles away.

He snarled at her as she quickly dodged another volley of fists, feigning left and hitting him in the side. Rounding on her, he threw another punch, but she side-stepped and his momentum left him punching the wall instead. Sango winced at the splintering wood, noting that he wasn't pulling his punches quite as much as he normally did; Kouga must have really ticked him off this time. She managed to get his jaw before he slugged her in the shoulder, and at her wince some of his anger faded. She kept fighting though. Sure the hit had hurt, but Sango didn't think it would even leave a bruise – despite his anger, he could never actually hurt her, or any of their friends. He needed to vent every now and then just like she did, but Sango knew that even if he wasn't taking out his anger on her now, he would never, _ever_ hit his 'kitten', no matter how mad he got.

He was slowing down now with his throws, and Sango smirked at her opening. Maybe it was low of her to use his soft-side against him, but he knew what he was getting into when he agreed to fight. She got him in the gut a few times before he knocked her arms away, but his attack was half-hearted, and she quickly slipped behind him, tripping his feet from under him and getting him in a choke-hold.

"Gah- hey! No fair!" He tugged at her arms, but she held firm. It was a test of her strength against his will – she knew he'd actually be fine and could pull her off if he really needed air. The fact that he kept talking let her know he was humoring her. "Okay okay, I give!"

Sango only tightened her grip, and Inuyasha choked on the swear word he was about to throw at her. "Nuh-uh" she said victoriously, "I'm just warming up. What gives? You're fighting worse than my punching bag!" He pulled harder at her arm, giving his bruising neck some relief, but she kept him locked as she said deviously "Maybe I should go find Kouga too – bet he'd be a better opponent!"

Inuyasha growled angrily at that, tugging her arm away completely as he stood and yelled "Dumb broad!" She downed him again easily with a sharp kick to his shins.

"Say that again, I dare ya!"

The creak of the office door distracted the fighters as they turned to see a very tired Miroku slip into the office. He paused in the doorway to look from the half-demon on the floor to his partner standing over him with raised fists, before sighing wearily and saying "Can you two keep it down please? I've had a rough night."

The fight vanishing from her mind, Sango followed after the PI, stepping over the ex-con still prone on the floor. Inuyasha stood with a grumble and dusted himself off, walking moodily over to a chair under the window to sit and sulk.

"And just _where_ have you been?" Sango said irately, crossing her arms and tapping her foot as Miroku draped his coat over the back of his chair.

He didn't answer, instead pulling his chair out before sitting and leaning back, his feet automatically coming up to cross atop the desk. He tugged his tie loose and unbuttoned his collar, still ignoring Sango's pointed glare. Her eye was developing a tic as she waited for him to respond, and finally he looked up at her, smiling groggily and saying "You're lovely after a fight, you know that?"

Sango flushed, stammering out "Wha- you- you didn't answer the question! Where have you _been_?"

"I've been working!" Miroku said with a sigh, reaching over to fish through the pocket of his overcoat, pulling out a small envelope.

"Oh sure, working. All night? Is that what you call 'womanizing' nowadays? You never came back to the office! You know who _was_ working? Me! For hours! I filled out _all_ of those reports, filed _all_ the paperwork, all without _you_ , thank you very much." She was fuming, and her anger only increased at his continued apathetic response.

"Sango, while I find your jealousy flattering," he said with a smile, tapping the small envelope on the desk, "you've got to believe me when I say I'm telling the truth!"

"I'm not jealous!" Sango shouted, blatantly ignoring the rest of his statement.

"Coulda fooled me!" Inuyasha chimed from his place by the window. She set an angry glare at him, and he rubbed his sore neck with a pointed look of his own.

"I mean it Sango! Look! I have proof." He held out the envelope to her, and she plucked it from his hand without a word. Inside it were photographs, freshly developed and showing scenes of various demons, including the Thunder Brothers, stealing plants from Jinenji's garden and a dimly-lit room where the same demons were rolling the plants into cigars. There were even a few photos from the sewers of discarded demon-eggs and human remains, and Sango grimaced, gladly handing the photos over to Inuyasha as he came to investigate.

"So how'd you do it?" Inuyasha asked as he finished snooping and handed the stack of photos back to the detective.

"Shippo of course!" Miroku responded with a smile, "I provided the camera, and he provided the shots! I just got done developing the film as you can see. It's going to cost me a year's worth of pocket change in candy, but he clearly came through!"

"So that's why you locked me out last night…" Inuyasha said in irritation, "I just figured you weren't home – I slept on the roof you know!"

"Couldn't be helped, my friend!" Miroku laughed, placing the photos atop the stack of case papers, "I wasn't about to risk you turning on a light and ruining the photos."

"Whatever…" Inuyasha sighed, conceding with "It's just as well – every time you set up a black-room, the chemicals are hell on my nose. Don't matter; probably won't be any more livable tonight will it?"

"My good man…" Miroku began, standing up to amble around the desk to where the half-demon stood, "you seem to keep forgetting that you have a girl now." He draped a friendly arm around Inuyasha's shoulders and gave him a firm shake, saying bluntly "Go crash at her joint for once, will ya?"

Inuyasha turned a violent red and shook off the detective's arm, saying sharply "I'm not _you_ Miroku! Just because we're… that don't mean…." He couldn't finish his sentence, choosing to turn away from both his friends as he fought his reddening cheeks. Miroku and Sango shared an amused look, neither bothering to tell him that they already knew he'd spent the night at Kagome's before, or that he always slept on the couch, or that he and Kagome never did more than cuddle. They also knew he didn't dare tell anyone for fear of damaging Kagome's 'rep'. Kagome didn't care about reputations however and was far more willing to share such information than he was, and her two friends were more than happy to keep Inuyasha in the dark about it and watch him sweat.

"Besides…" Inuyasha said gruffly, "I ain't talkin' to Kagome right now."

"Oh no…" Miroku moaned, his head falling into his hand "Don't tell me you had another petty argument."

"They did." Sango chirped, only too willing to let Miroku in on their friend's latest drama. "Kagome was in a meeting with Kouga."

At the sound of the wolf-demon's name, Inuyasha growled, and Miroku said quickly "Really Inuyasha, don't you have any faith in Kagome? You know she wouldn't turn on you like that."

"It's not her I'm worried about, it's him!" Inuyasha ground out through clenched teeth, "He's always grabbing her hands and bringing her flowers and acting like she's his moll! And she lets him!"

"Did you ever stop to think" Miroku began, his arms crossing over his suspenders "that she's merely trying to maintain good relations with him? He _is_ a prominent lawyer on the west-side, and pretty highly respected too. It's safer for her, for her office, and for the humans if they keep on good terms."

"And besides" Sango added sternly, "what girl doesn't like a little appreciation every now and then."

Inuyasha's previously lightening mood quickly turned sour as he responded hotly "What're you getting at, Slugger?"

"What I'm saying, _Bloodhound_ " Sango said tersely, meeting her nickname with his own, "Is that maybe you could try winning her over instead of pushing her away for a change? You should probably start with an apology, because the more you yell at her, the nicer Kouga's offer is going to look."

Jaw clenching, Inuyasha turned away, his expression defeated. For a moment Sango thought about reaching out to comfort him, but she refrained; if his sad mood led him to an apology, then it would turn out all the better for him in the end.

Without a word he brushed past Sango and Miroku to retrieve his knife from the ruined dart-board, re-sheathing it before throwing on his overcoat. Turning up the collar and stuffing his ears in his hat, he mumbled "I gotta go…" before charging out the office door with his hands jammed in his pockets.

Miroku smiled softly as he went to shut the door Inuyasha had left wide open, saying fondly "He'll make the right choice. That dog is too dizzy with his kitten to let this shake them up."

"I know…" Sango said distractedly, watching the sleepy PI make his way back to his desk. He returned to his reclined pose, his head falling back over the edge of the chair and eyes closing. Her eyes softened as she noticed how beat he looked. She'd been so angry at him earlier, and all without reason. 'If only he'd told me…' she thought glumly, but then shook the thought from her head. He couldn't have told her – it either would have interfered with the investigation, or would have made her liable for his actions had he been caught by the wrong people. It was better for them to work together with the aftermath.

Still… she had to say something. Her words of advice to Inuyasha rang in her ears, and with a sigh she sat down across from him. "Hey," she said softly, and Miroku hummed back to show he was listening, "I… I'm sorry for earlier; for doubting you."

He opened his eyes and looked at her in pleasant surprise. Thinking for a moment, he straightened his chair and sat up to face her seriously, saying "It's alright – no hard feelings! It's not like I haven't let you down in the past." He smiled self-consciously then and said "I should apologize for always giving you reason to doubt in the first place."

"You're getting better!" She said emphatically, abruptly sitting back in embarrassment over her own admission. His wide eyes and grateful "Thank you" only made the awkwardness worse. It was true though, even if she often forgot it. Since she'd started working for him a year ago, he'd become much more of an honest man. He'd really been a mess at the beginning: out drinking too often, staying out late with women, charging exorbitant fees… sure he was still a slacker, and probably prized his professional services as worth more than they were, but she knew that the man who had swindled Shima's family two years ago wasn't the same man sitting across from her now. At the thought of Shima, Sango's chest tightened painfully. She had to bring up the young girl's case sometime, but she didn't know how.

"By the way" Miroku said casually, and Sango was brought out of her thoughts by the hopeful hint in his voice, "You down for a stakeout tonight?"

Sango couldn't hide her excitement as she quipped "You're paying for snacks!"

Miroku laughed, tugging his chair closer to the desk and reaching for the stack of papers Sango had prepared for him to review, his nap apparently forgotten.

The thought of an impending stakeout was enough to lighten the mood for the rest of the day; it was a chance for them to really be alone, without clients barging in or angry half-demons. They'd perfected their surveillance to an art, able to keep watch over their suspects and still carry on conversation as they sat in Sango's car, munching on doughnuts or strudel and sipping fresh Jerk Sodas.

Sango let the incident with Shima disappear from her mind as she buried herself in her work, wanting to get it done so they'd have more time to relax later; she'd tell him about the girl sometime tonight… _after_ the stakeout of course.

* * *

*Author's Note:

I keep writing stuff for this when I say I'm not gonna write anymore….. what's my deal? As if anyone is really complaining… actually, people waiting for me to update Freak Attraction are probably complaining, but I'm complaining about that too. *C'mon self, finish the chapter already! Get back to this later!* But alas, I don't ever listen to myself, so there.

And I'll probably have another chapter of this up soon, because I hate to leave Dog-boy and Kitten hanging, and all sorts of fun things could happen on a stake-out, and apparently we're just a day away from Jinenji's court case even though everyone seems to have forgotten that in the midst of their personal drama… so yeah, I've got plenty to write about.

Also, here are some 30's slang definitions, sorry if I miss some:

necking: making out

daisy: an un-manly man (or something)

swimming with the fishes: drowned (obviously) or just plain 'dead'

wooden overcoat: coffin

shiv: knife

'dizzy witha dame' (or in this case a 'kitten' :3): in love with, head over heels, etc.

jerk sodas: sodas from a soda fountain - they were a thing back then, and the guys who ran them were called 'soda jerks'. Turn the words around and you have the product instead of the guy :P

if there are more that I missed... look them up. I dunno. I'll try to pick them out later I guess. No promises.


	5. Out on a Ledge

Miroku, Private Eye

~Chapter Five: Out on a Ledge~

* * *

A growl escaped the young defense attorney as yet another balled-up paper was thrown into the basket across the room, bouncing off the top of the pile to lie with several others littering the floor. Resetting her typewriter and feeding in a clean sheet, Kagome started typing again, glancing occasionally at a paper beside her. But after just a few lines her gaze began to stray, her face falling into an angry frown as the morning's conversation on the telephone replayed in her mind. Inuyasha's angry, jealous tones echoed in her ears, and her eyebrows pinched in a glare. Without noticing, her typing became more violent, the keys ringing and machine humming under her furious fingers.

A knock at her office door startled her out of her frenzy, and noticing she had ruined yet another report, she tore it from the machine and crumpled it angrily. It narrowly missed hitting the young brown-haired man entering the room as it sailed by on its way to the wastebasket, and he paused in the doorway, startled by the close-call.

With a gasp Kagome jumped from her chair, saying apologetically "I'm sorry Hojo! I was just… uh… having some trouble with the typewriter…."

A smile lit Hojo's face in response as he said cheerily "Oh it's no trouble Miss Kagome – if you want, I could take a look at your typewriter for you and see if there's anything I can do to fix it!"

"NO! No, that's fine! I'll uh… I'll manage!" Kagome hurried forward, blocking her eager assistant from coming in further and finding that there really was nothing wrong with the machine after all. "So… what did you need?"

Hojo stood blinking a moment, his face a light pink, before he snapped out of his daze and said distractedly "Oh! Right – I just came to tell you that the Chief of Police came by, along with the City Detective. They were wondering if there was anything they could do to assist in the case. I told them I'd talk to you about it, since I know you're already working with that private detective… They told me to tell you to give them a call if you needed their help."

Kagome forced a smile as she said "Thanks Hojo – you handled it perfectly. I've told them so many times that I've got it covered, but they never seem to believe me…."

"Would you like me to turn them down for you next time?"

"That would be great, thanks." At her grateful smile Hojo nodded brightly, turning to leave for his desk down the hall, but paused as he turned and asked "I was wondering though… why do we work with that Private Eye instead of the police department?"

An impish smile lit Kagome's face as she said coyly "Let's just say it's a matter of trust."

Hojo's confused look and incredulous "You trust him over the police?" earned a laugh from the attorney, and she answered simply "Uh-huh!" before closing the door on her assistant and turning back to her desk. She settled back in with a smile, determined to finally type out a clean paper, when a small tap at her window distracted her. She paused, not looking up, and at the silence that followed got back to rolling her paper into place. Another couple of taps sounded at the window, but she ignored them, sure that it was only a pigeon wandering along the edge of the building.

The series of window-rattling knocks that followed however caught her attention with a gasp, and she looked off to the side to see the irritated face of her half-demon beau glaring impatiently at her from his spot on the outside ledge.

With a squeak she stumbled out of her chair, hurrying over to unlatch the window, motioning for him to move over as she swung it outward. He slipped into the room with a muttered "About time…" and stood nervously in the center of the room, his hands in his coat pockets while she locked the window back up. "I do have a door you know" she said lightly, and though her hands were on her hips and eyebrows drawn, he could see the hint of a smile on her face.

"I didn't wanna cause a scene…." He said hesitantly, and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He just hadn't wanted to cause a stir among the humans in the building, but giving her a near heart-attack was fine apparently. She understood his reasoning really, but still – she worked on the fifth floor! It wasn't exactly normal for someone to enter by way of window.

"What if someone had seen you?" She said worriedly, reaching up to remove his slightly over-sized fedora and rub his ears briefly. She knew how irritated his ears got under a hat, and she knew he didn't mind the attention, if his grin was anything to go by. "I mean what if someone called the police? The last thing I want is them coming by again to question my office about 'irregular practices'."

"Coppers came by?" Inuyasha asked, suddenly on the alert. Kagome caught the nervous tone in his voice and said quickly "Nothing's wrong! They came to see if we needed their help on the case! Well, they also came to warn us about working with demons again… though I really don't know how they expect me to help anyone with any case if there's a whole side of town that's 'off-limits'! I mean, just this morning Kouga was… saying… in our meeting…." It was as if a switched was turned, and suddenly she rounded on the sweating half-demon, saying sharply "Hey wait a sec, I'm still mad at you! You've got a lot of nerve coming here mister!"

His ears drooping, Inuyasha jammed his hands in his pockets, his posture turning defensive. He had hoped she had forgotten. "Look, I didn't come here to fight, okay?"

"And just why are you here?" Kagome snapped, though her actual anger at him had drastically diminished. She was more upset at herself for having so easily forgotten their argument at the mere sight of his handsome face and cute ears.

He fidgeted, his jaw clenched, but his eyes glanced down to meet hers and the fight went out of him with a sigh. "I'm sorry."

Kagome's eyes went wide, staring back at him as a frown came over his face and he mumbled an embarrassed "What's eating you?"

"Nothing!" She chirped, giving him a blinding smile, and he gave her a relieved smile in return. "So!" She said casually, her mood suddenly turning business-like, "What was it you wanted to tell me earlier? Hojo said you had some information for me when you called?"

"Oh, uh… Miroku has photos for you – evidence for Jinenji's case."

"I already know." At Inuyasha's surprise, she explained "He called earlier today to tell me. Sango's bringing them by later."

"Right…." Inuyasha muttered, rubbing at the back of his head self-consciously, looking as though he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Kagome smiled knowingly at his expression and said fondly "You didn't actually have any information for me, did you?"

He frowned, but shook his head in the negative. Kagome's smile only grew wider as she stepped forward, saying softly "You just wanted to talk to me, didn't you?"

Inuyasha didn't say a word, but his red blush gave him away.

Giggling, Kagome closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning up slightly to kiss his chin as she said with a laugh "Next time, just leave a message with Hojo and I'll call back, alright?"

"I ain't waiting around for you to finish gabbing with the wolf." Inuyasha responded grumpily, but Kagome just shook her head, saying lightly "Why are you so jealous of him?"

"I'm not jealous, I just don't trust him." Despite his emphatic response, Kagome remained skeptical. "I mean it Kitten, that sap is always sweet-talkin' and feedin' you lines. He thinks he's hot stuff and can do whatever he wants just because he's a demon."

"While I appreciate your concern Inuyasha," Kagome said, not at all buying his argument, "I need his help on this case right now, and I'm probably going to need his help on future cases as well. You're just gonna have to get used to it Hun!"

Inuyasha didn't argue further, but turned away with a pout, prompting a sympathetic sigh from Kagome who nudged his cheek softly to face her as she said "What is it you're afraid of? Do you really think I could be swayed that easily by some high-hat lawyer? I'm with you for the long haul Dog-boy!"

A content smile lit the ex-convict's face, and he pushed away from Kagome slightly to reach into his baggy coat. "I got somethin' for ya Kitten."

Kagome's hands went to her hips again as she smirked and said "Trying to win me over still, huh? I can't be bought you know!"

His confident "Oh yeah?" was met with a happy squeal from the girl before him as he pulled a thin, flat package wrapped in paper from his coat. "I thought we could give this a listen later tonight" he explained, handing her the packaged record.

"Inuyasha…" she said, awestruck, "Where did you get this? How did you afford this?" She took the record from him, holding it gently as she looked over the new monochrome-printed paper covering the disk.

"Eh, I pulled some favors" Inuyasha said with a shrug, "It's got some of your favorites… good for a swing around the cave later… whaddaya say?"

Her jaw dropped, eyes widening further as she looked up at him in complete shock. "You mean…" she whispered, "You'll actually dance with me this time? You mean it?"

He swayed slightly on his feet, embarrassed by her excitement as he responded "Sure… only at you're apartment though. I ain't going to no clam-bakes or joints like that and acting like a twit in public. And… I know I'm a bit of a hoofer, but I'll give it a whirl if you don't mind me steppin' on your feet."

"I look forward to it" She said sincerely, hugging the record to her tightly, unknowingly crumpling the edges of the paper. He gave her a toothy grin, and before she could blink he'd grabbed her face and pulled her into an insistent kiss. She just had the presence of mind to reach back and slip the record onto her desk before wrapping her arms around Inuyasha's strong back and melting into him.

"Miss Kagome! I – oh."

Kagome and Inuyasha broke apart violently to stare in horror at Hojo's blushing face as he stood in the open doorway, his hand still grasping the knob and knuckles turning white. Kagome pulled fussily at her blouse, patting her curled hair self-consciously, unable to think of anything to say. Inuyasha was more obviously put out at the interruption, crossing his arms and glaring daggers at the brown-haired assistant.

Hojo's hand that wasn't holding the door handle like a life-line lifted to scratch at the back of his head, despite the stack of papers in his grasp. "Um… s-sorry boss! Hello Mister… uh, Inuyasha wasn't it? It's been a while! Ha-happy to see you again… and doing so well. So uh… Miss Kagome, I finished typing out the transcripts from the last hearing. I'll just leave them in your box. Oh, and that woman from the Detective's office is here… sh-should I show her in, or… would you like a few minutes?"

Kagome's whole face was red in mortification, but she somehow managed to smile and stammer out "N-no, that's fine. Please, show her in."

Hojo nodded but made no move to leave, still staring uneasily from his boss to the gruff looking man with messy silver hair and scars. Inuyasha's impatience had reached its limit, and at his gruff "Beat it kid" Hojo gulped and sped back down the hall. Inuyasha scoffed, muttering about the 'wet-blanket' under his breath as he went to retrieve his hat from the coat-rack in the corner.

Groaning, Kagome let her face fall into her hands, mumbling "I won't be able to look him in the eye for a week, I'm sure! Of all the times for him to just walk in… he usually knocks!"

"Yeah, well, at least it wasn't The Chief." Inuyasha moodily tucked his ears back into his hat before returning to Kagome to give her a quick kiss on the nose. "See ya Kitten. Don't forget that record – I ain't goin' on no trip for biscuits if you lose it."

"But…" Kagome began disappointedly, following him to the window "aren't you going to walk me home later?"

"Can't" he said, his disappointment mirroring her own, "I've got work to do for the flatfoot. He sent Shippo on some errands, and now I've gotta track down the brat and get the goods from him."

"Tell him 'hi' for me!" Kagome said as she watched him step onto the outside ledge, and before she closed the window on him she grasped his hand, saying softly "Be careful, alright?"

He turned back to her from his spot crouched on the ledge and said reassuringly "I'm always careful! They can't off _me_ so easily." His attention turned quickly to the door, and he said briefly "Sango's comin'."

Kagome gave him a knowing grin, saying "Is there a reason you're trying to make tracks before she gets here? What'd you do?"

Inuyasha cleared his throat, rubbing absently at his neck and muttering "Let's just say I've had enough of Slugger for one day." His wary look became a smile though as he turned back to Kagome and said with a characteristic smirk "Keep your nose clean, Kitten" before leaping to another ledge to scale the building. She leaned out to watch him go, and once he'd disappeared onto the roof, she closed the window, almost skipping back to her desk to pick up his gifted record and give it another hug.

* * *

*Author's Note:

I had to do an InuKag chapter, partly because I left them hanging last time, and mostly because they are what I always write and I couldn't not write them. And they get their own chapter because I'm keeping these chapters relatively short.

Next time is Miroku and Sango on their date – I mean stakeout – so expect some cuteness and fun exchanges and detective-work in the next chapter

Some slangy term definitions:

hoofer - bad dancer

clam-bake - wild swing (like a rockin' party)

coppers - police

what's eating you - what's wrong

feeding lines - being fake

high-hat - snobby

swing - dancing

cave - apartment

wet-blanket - killjoy, mood-killer

trip for biscuits - a useless errand

flatfoot - detective

keep your nose clean - stay out of trouble


	6. The Interrupted Stakeout

Miroku, Private Eye

Chapter 6: The Interrupted Stakeout

* * *

"You're kidding!" Miroku said with a smile, popping the lid off his soda bottle, "You mean the coward actually escaped out the _window_?"

Sango smirked and reached into their box of treats for a doughnut, saying lightly "He smelled me coming down the hall and high-tailed it out before I even got close!" She laughed, leaning back against the cracked leather of the seat in her car as she continued "I don't know why though – I already beat him this morning! Why would I need another go?"

Miroku just shrugged and replied "Who knows what goes on in Inuyasha's head. I doubt even Kagome understands him!"

A grin lit Sango's face at his words, and she leaned over to his side of the car with a conspiratorial look in her eyes. Miroku grinned himself, always eager to share some gossip with his partner. Not only was he flattered that she trusted him enough to snitch to him about the others, but she always did that 'leaning' thing, and her increased proximity along with the way her body curved and stretched was a nice little bonus. Her voice low despite their lack of audience, Sango shared "Speaking of Kagome, you'll never guess what she was up to during working hours today!"

"Don't tell me," Miroku replied with a smirk "Smooching with her hound-dog, am I right?"

"Uh-huh! And guess who happened to walk in and ruin the party?"

"Not Koga I hope!" Miroku groaned, though he soon realized it couldn't have been the wolf-demon, or else Sango wouldn't be talking about this so lightly; there would have been blood. He gave himself a mental shake for playing detective again and trying to figure things out before she finished; he had a habit of making guesses, but it was always a better conversation when he let her talk without interruptions.

With a wave of her hand Sango rushed on "No no no! That would have been a whole different story. It was Hojo!"

Miroku laughed aloud, just imagining the expressions that must have been on everyone in that room. "Poor Hojo! I'll bet he's learned his lesson to knock from now on though!"

Sango shared in his laughter, saying "He's not the only one. I don't know if Kagome's _ever_ going to allow Inuyasha back at her workplace. You should have seen how embarrassed she was!"

Smiling, Miroku said casually "And yet, for all her embarrassment, she told you the whole story the minute you walked through the door."

"You bet she did!" Sango said as she rolled her eyes, "With all the juicy details. Which" she paused at the look of his eager face, her finger raised in warning "I'm not going to share with you because that's her private business and you don't need to know."

Miroku slumped back in his seat with a sigh, swinging his pop bottle between his fingers.

"Really though," Sango laughed, turning back to her snack, "It's not that scandalous. You know those two! They could be _married_ and he still wouldn't kiss her in public."

With a laugh of his own, Miroku leaned over and nudged his soda at Sango with a sly "Speaking of kissing… care to share a bottle?"

Sango rolled her eyes, but she couldn't hold back a smile. At least he hadn't tried to trick her into sharing such an indirect kiss, but sometimes his methods were so transparent as to be comical. She would never share that, had he gone for a more subtle approach, she might have considered. "Aren't you supposed to be paying attention to the warehouse? Shippo said that demon gang planned on meeting there tonight, right?"

Sighing resignedly, Miroku put down his soda and peered across the street to an old abandoned building, its door hanging on hinges and windows shattered, and absolutely no sign of life inside. From their vantage point inside Sango's beat up car they had a fairly clear view into the empty building and its accompanying yard, and the gated lot they were hiding in full of rusted old cars made for quite the effective cover. It was still early in the night, and Miroku knew it could be hours before anyone showed for a secret rendezvous. But for the detective and his partner, they'd have to wait it out all night to avoid being seen or suspected.

Leaning back in his seat and kicking off his shoes, Miroku said "He overheard a few of the demons talking when he was sneaking pictures. They said something about 'distributing merchandise' and about where it was stored, but no more than that. Sometimes I wish I could just hook a microphone to that kid as well as a camera. He doesn't have the best memory."

Sango smiled, but her voice took on a more somber tone as she said "Hey, he's a little guy, but he tries hard! It can't be easy for him, living on the streets all alone, with no one to look after him…." She trailed off, her eyes gazing sadly out the window, until a light touch on her shoulder made her turn.

Miroku's caring smile met her gaze, as he said softly "Thinking about your brother again?"

Nodding, Sango leaned back against the seat, absently poking her half-eaten doughnut as she said despondently "I just wish I knew where he was. I don't even know why he ran away in the first place! First our gym is attacked, Father's murdered, and he takes off right after! I know it must have been so hard for him, but…" Her eyes grew glassy with angry tears, but her brows furrowed as she held them in and muttered "If only he'd stayed, we could have helped each other!"

"Instead," Miroku continued for her, his eyes full of empathy, his hand resting on her shoulder in a comforting gesture, "you had to deal with the loss of both family members at once. I'm sorry Sango."

"Oh, don't worry" she said with a forced smile, "I'm the one who brought it up in the first place. And it could be worse… at least not knowing, I can have some hope that he's still alive somewhere, and hopefully taking care of himself." She smiled a real smile then, though it was small. Turning back to her partner with a slightly consoled expression she continued "And at least I've still got Kirara! So I'm not all alone."

"Of course!" Miroku said brightly, adding in his mind 'and you've got me too', though he didn't have the nerve to say it aloud. "Speaking of which," he continued, hoping to wipe the sadness from her eyes, "Does Kirara know she'll be all alone tonight? I hope you left her something to eat!"

"She's a demon, Miroku; she can take care of herself." Shaking her head at him, she took another bite of her treat, though Miroku noticed triumphantly that her eyes were smiling again. She needed to vent her feelings now and then, but if he let her she'd get lost in them. And perhaps it was selfish, but Miroku really did prefer her smile.

"Well, just in case the pickin's run slim," Miroku started, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small tin container, "pass these along to her for me, will ya?"

Sango's smile spread wider as she reached out to take the small can of sardines from her partner. With a fond shake of her head she pocketed the container, saying softly "Trying to butter us both up, huh? You must have some crazy request or favor to ask."

"Not at all!" Miroku said with a laugh, "It's strictly a matter of self-preservation. I don't want a demon cat hunting me down in my sleep because I kept her human away to myself all night." He sent her a wink and a dazzling smile, and Sango turned abruptly, reaching for her fountain soda and trying to hide the rush of blood to her cheeks.

She wondered if he knew the affect he had on her and if he just liked seeing her flustered – despite his occasionally unwanted flirtations, he certainly knew how to turn on the charm. It was no wonder he had the girls of the city wrapped around his finger. Quite unexpectedly Sango recalled Shima's love-struck pleas from the evening before, and her countenance fell. She really needed to tell Miroku about the case. So what if Shima was infatuated with the man? She wasn't the first. And… it wasn't like Miroku would take her up on her offer of marriage, right? If he had really wanted her to be his girl, she would have been. Sango had nothing to worry about – her partner wouldn't abandon her for some dewy-eyed doll with a sob-story. Still….

"What's wrong Sango?"

Startling from her thoughts, Sango glanced over to see Miroku's concerned face. At that look, her fear lessened and guilt began to take its place. She had no right to interfere in a case like this because she was feeling jealous. Someone was in trouble, and Miroku needed to know.

"It's just… someone came by the other night looking for you." At the slight look of alarm on his face, Sango continued hurriedly "a potential client! I should have told you sooner, but uh… we were busy with the other case, so I…."

Waving her words away without question, Miroku said reassuringly "It's alright, I understand! I had a lot on my mind earlier, so I'm sure I couldn't have focused on another case if I tried. Now," he paused to shift slightly closer on the seat, his expression open and ready to listen, "tell me all about it!"

Sango's breath seized in her throat, then left in her in a rush as she said quickly "A girl named Shima came by."

There was no hint of recognition or particular interest in the PI's gaze as he waited to hear more, and Sango didn't know whether to feel relieved that he didn't seem to remember the girl or annoyed that he could forget someone so easily. "I tried to take care of it, but she insisted on getting _your_ help. Apparently you'd worked with her family in the past."

That _did_ get a reaction out of the man, as he suddenly looked very uncomfortable and tugged at his collar. "You don't say. Just uh… how far in the past are we talking?"

"A few years ago…" Sango said carefully, eyeing her partner with obvious suspicion. "What, name sounding familiar now?"

"No, no" though his tone wasn't as casual as he tried to make it "I just… like to let old cases lie, that's all."

Sango raised an eyebrow, but decided to let it go. They both knew he'd made questionable business choices back before she'd joined him, and he'd most definitely changed for the better. It was just annoying when they had to spend valuable time now cleaning up messes he'd made years ago.

"Anyways, this girl said you'd helped solve a mysterious illness she'd contracted. She said it had something to do with demons."

"She recovered, didn't she?" His tone was slightly panicked, and Sango could understand why. The last thing he needed was someone dying because he hadn't been doing his job.

"Oh she recovered alright" Sango said icily, "and it cost her father everything to pay for your services. He went into debt to a demon, and now the demon is asking for payment in the form of the girl as his bride!" Miroku's startled expression was appropriately concerned and at the same time impersonal, and Sango regretted having to drag him into this mess when his detachment to the smitten dame was so obvious. Poor Shima was going to end up with a broken heart and married to a demon.

"Unfortunate," Miroku began carefully, weighing his words, "but I don't see how I'm supposed to help. Even if, uh… even if it _was_ my fault originally, the debt is on her father."

Sighing heavily, Sango ran a hand through her bangs before dropping the news on the man like a bucket of cold water. "She wants you to marry her so she'll be ineligible to marry the demon."

He was only silent for a moment before with a smirk he asked "Was she pretty?"

With a growl to rival her demon cat, Sango slugged him in the shoulder and scolded "You can't seriously be considering this?!"

Rubbing away the growing soreness in his arm, Miroku said calmly "Only joking! But really, if she is an attractive young lady, then I don't think my involvement will do much to dissuade a demon looking for a wife. With my luck, he'd have hitmen on me before she could even buy a dress."

Only slightly less concerned by her partner's casual attitude, Sango replied "So then what do you plan to do? If we're going to help this girl at all, we'd better think quickly, or you'll be getting a wedding invitation in the mail and another name to add to the list of 'unsatisfied clients'."

"We find a new angle, obviously" Miroku said with a shrug, grabbing his pop bottle and taking a swig. He tapped absently on the glass of the bottle, his gaze wandering outside the car window as he thought. "Sango" he started, turning back to his partner with an inquisitive look, "you said she had been sick, correct? A sickness having to do with demons?"

"Yes, though… she didn't give me much information." She fought the urge to tug nervously at her hair as a wave of embarrassment washed over her. If she hadn't been so jealous that evening Shima visited, she would have remembered to question the girl for details regarding her and her situation. As it was… Sango hadn't even thought to get her last name.

"I suppose I'll have to find her old records then" Miroku mumbled, lost in his own ponderings and, thankfully, blind to Sango's discomfort. "There's something familiar about her case though..." he said under his breath, his fingers rubbing at his chin in thought, "The details are fuzzy, but… I feel like something from that case, something I remember… is reminding me of something… I heard recently."

Sango held her breath, always eager to see what the detective's quick mind would drudge up, but at a sudden thud against the metal roof of the car, both she and Miroku jumped in their seats, hands automatically reaching for their pistols. At the sight of bright orange fur beside the window both relaxed, but it was with stern faces that both Miroku and Sango greeted Shippo as the PI rolled down the window to let the little fox-boy in.

"You can't startle us like that, Shippo! We're both armed you know!"

His little face flushed and out of breath, Shippo righted his newsboy cap and whispered harshly "There was no time! You two have gotta get out o' here!"

"Shippo," Sango began in a firm tone "Just tell us what's going on. What happened?"

"They knew!" He said quickly, his bushy auburn tail shaking with fright, "They knew I snapped photos! They knew I was there!"

"Who knew?" Miroku pressed, a sinking feeling starting in the pit of his stomach.

"The west-siders! Those demons you wanted me to catch robbin' the plants! They guessed they was being watched, and they fed me phony information! They ain't comin' here tonight!"

With a sigh, Sango turned to her partner with an exasperated look. "Well isn't that wonderful? At least we found out before we wasted the whole evening!"

"Indeed!" Miroku responded, stifling a yawn, "I'll be quite happy to see my couch tonight, I must admit."

"NO! You guys, you don't get it! The demons know about the photos, and they know who you gave 'em to! I heard 'em say they ain't gonna rest till they get that evidence back!"

That stopped both the PI and his partner cold. They exchanged brief, terrified glances before Miroku said with forced calm "Look, we can't panic. Maybe Inuyasha is there with her. You said they were meeting tonight, didn't you?"

"But I saw Inuyasha!" Shippo said quickly, "After he got the other camera from me, he went to take it to the office, and then he was goin' to see Totosai! I only found out the info leaked after I saw him! He doesn't know!"

"Meaning it could be hours before he makes it around to see her" Sango said brusquely, already putting their snacks away.

"Right." Miroku responded, pulling out Sango's keys and starting up the car. With a look to the little newspaper-selling fox, Miroku said "Shippo? Get in. We might need your help."

Nodding resolutely, Shippo slipped into the car and Miroku pealed out of the lot, tires protesting their speed as the group headed for the east-side and the small apartment of a certain defense attorney.

* * *

*Author's Note:

Sorry this took so long... the next chapter shouldn't take nearly as long... I hope.

Anyways, Thanks for reading and supporting my fic! It's lots of fun to write! And hopefully it's just gonna keep getting better! :3


	7. Late-night Visitor

Miroku, Private Eye

Chapter 7: Late-night Visitors

* * *

Inuyasha couldn't fight a grin as he slipped in through the open window of Kagome's apartment, the tinny sound of her record player humming a familiar tune to his dog-ears. He wondered how long she'd been expecting him, and just how long she'd let the record run. Shrugging off his coat and unbuckling the sheath for his knife, Inuyasha dropped them to the carpeted floor and gave a satisfying stretch, breathing deeply of the sweet scent of Kagome which filled the apartment. A light rumbling sound drifted over the low volume of the player, and Inuyasha looked down to see Kagome's fat cat Buyo regarding him with the same disinterested gaze he always wore. His grin spreading to show his fangs, Inuyasha reached down to scoop the cat into his arms, slipping out of his loafers by the window and padding over to the living room couch. He fell backwards into it, careful not to squash the feline he still held, who was determinately curling himself into a defensive ball; but Inuyasha would not be deterred. With practiced precision he extricated the kitty's front paws and pulled the reluctant cat into a seated position. Used to such hands-on interaction with the half-demon, the sparsely-spotted calico cat did nothing more than grumble in kitty-tones as he patiently allowed the overgrown dog to pull him about in time to the music.

So caught up in his fun was Inuyasha that he didn't notice the other occupant of the room until he heard her clear her throat pointedly. Craning his neck back over the armrest, Inuyasha was met with an upside down view of Kagome's amused face, her hands on her hips as she said in a falsely scolding voice "Excuse me sir, but you're dancing with the wrong kitten."

He gave her a fangy grin and replied in a rough voice "I dunno… this one ain't gonna step on my feet."

"Yeah, and that one won't kiss you either" Kagome said flippantly, walking around the side of the couch to sit on the edge beside him. Extracting her cat from Inuyasha's grip and placing him on the floor, she leaned back over the half-demon to kiss him squarely on the lips. He grinned against her, and was about to wrap his arms around her back when she sat up with a smile and grabbed for his reaching hands. Giving them a slight tug and ignoring his pout, she laughed "C'mon Inuyasha, you promised me some dancing!" Not pulling away, but not letting himself be pulled up either, Inuyasha responded gruffly "I just got here! It's been a rough day – can't a fella get a few moments to relax before he gets dragged over the floor like a mop?"

Raising a warning eyebrow, Kagome said knowingly "If I let you relax now, you're not going to have _any_ desire to dance later. Now c'mon!" She pulled insistently again, and with a groan Inuyasha rose to a seated position, but no further. Having as much success trying to move the muscly man as trying to lift a boulder, Kagome opted for a different tactic. Letting go of him, she stepped into the middle of the room, the coffee table already moved against the wall, and began to sway to the music. Twirling and tapping her feet to the band, she teased "I guess I'll just have to dance all by myself then. And when I'm worn out, I'll go enjoy the delicious hot noodles I made for dinner, and those who don't want to be part of the fun don't get to partake of the nice hot meal."

She twirled a bit faster then, her feet kicking in a solo Lindy Hop, and after a loud sigh and a roll of his eyes, Inuyasha rose from his spot on the couch to join her. "You don't have to bribe me, you know" he began irritably, "I was gonna dance with you anyways."

Smiling, she reached out for him, pulling one of his hands into hers and placing the other at her waist. "You remember the steps?" She quipped, already starting to dance. "You've watched me so many times that I would think you'd have it down pretty well by now!"

Inuyasha flushed; he thought she hadn't noticed. "Like it's difficult" he joked, taking charge and spinning her around, "It ain't a street-fight."

"Well you're certainly strong enough to make it one!" she said breathlessly, as he spun her out and sharply pulled her back in. "I need my limbs attached, thank you! I have court tomorrow."

"Sorry…" he muttered sheepishly, though he didn't stop dancing. He showed he had been listening though as his next trick was more controlled.

Kagome's smile stretched from ear to ear as they swung around her apartment. Despite his intimidating physique, the ex-con could be surprisingly light on his feet when he wanted, and Kagome relished in the restrained power she felt in his every move. The quick spins and fancy footwork soon became natural, and even Inuyasha couldn't keep from smiling as the pair moved together in sync.

"You know…" Kagome began in a breathy voice, her eyes twinkling mischievously "For all those warnings of you being a hoofer" she paused with a hitch in her breath as he spun her out again, "you dance like any swing-cat I've ever seen." They stilled as the record fizzled into the beginnings of the next brass-band song, and Kagome looked up at her half-demon with all the teasing she could muster and said "You haven't been practicing behind my back with some other broad, have you?"

His answering grin disappeared from sight as he twirled her around, trapping her with her arms crossed over herself and him behind as he said in a low voice by her ear "Keep your shirt on – I only dance with kittens."

She giggled as he uncurled her from his embrace and they took up an even faster, more aggressive pace than before. Inuyasha couldn't help it – he loved when his Kitten got feisty, and that paired with her flushed face and panting breaths was getting him a little more worked up than he would care to admit. From the sly look on his girl's face, he figured she was reading him like the morning paper.

"Why Inuyasha" she said through her giggles "your face is turning red! Do you need to take a break to catch your breath?"

Before she could let out another laugh he lifted her by her waist and swung her to either side of him, her legs kicking up instinctively and stumbling a bit as he set her back down, pulling her back into the dance as she doubled over with laughter. Smirking, he growled out over the sound "Who has to catch their breath now?"

Shaking her head and failing to suppress her mirth, Kagome stepped backwards, pulling their joined hands until her knees met the back of the couch and she toppled over. His demon agility was the only thing that kept him from falling over her as he righted himself and took up the spot beside her on the worn cushions. The music continued to blare through the room in its tinny tones as Kagome leaned back against Inuyasha's shoulder, her chest heaving with heavy breaths and laughter. She looked up to see him watching her with hooded eyes and the sweetest smile, and it was almost too much to take. Shifting in her seat, she swathed her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss, unable to hold back a happy squeak as his arms wrapped tightly across her back, bringing her in closer. Inuyasha smirked against her lips – she was always making the strangest sounds, and he adored her for it.

After too short a moment she pulled back, her breathing calmer though her heart was racing. Gazing up at his handsome face and striking eyes (which she noted were still pointedly focused on her lips), she brought a hand from around his neck and lightly brushed one of the scars on his cheeks.

He'd explained to her once how he got them, and once had been enough for them both. His first week in prison had been spent in a cell full of demons; back then, no one had thought anything of it, assuming his demon power put him on level ground with the other inmates. But after a few days of taunts it had come to blows, and after a few days of blows, the prisoners got serious. The guards ignored the attempted assaults until one demon brought out a home-made shiv, infused with all the demon power the prisoners could muster under the influence of the suppressing enchantments. The lot of them held him down while the leader carved into his face. The threat had been too much in his mind, and he'd turned. By the time the guards had come to slap ofudas on him, every single man in the cell was unconscious, the already existing charms the only things that had saved them from dismemberment by his full-demon state.

Lost in her thoughts, Kagome let her head fall against Inuyasha's shoulder, her fingers still tracing his scar while he watched her silently out of the corner of his eye. The marks weren't too noticeable, but they weren't normal scars either, and from her proximity Kagome could see the traces of lilac pigment tinting the tissue. She knew that with his genes they should have healed, but that was the nature of demon-weapons: the wounds _never_ healed properly. The combination of the infused blade and his own rush of demonic blood had left him with permanent reminders of his hellish time in jail, and every time she stopped to look at those marks, she renewed her determination to erase all those dark memories from his golden heart.

A soft nudge to her cheek broke her from her somber thoughts, and she looked into Inuyasha's perceptive yellow eyes, his finger stroking her cheek as she had his. "Hey" he said softly, "how about that grub?"

She smiled, grateful that he was trying to distract her; he knew what she'd been thinking about. "Is that all I'm good for?" she said mockingly, not bothering to move yet from her comfortable resting place. Inuyasha scoffed, but with a smirk answered "I just recall you promising noodles if I twirled you around some. Now c'mon, they're gettin' cold!"

Reluctantly she rose from the couch, though her hand sought out his again as she led him to the kitchen and his beloved noodles.

* * *

They had a quiet meal seated at her small breakfast nook, with the ever energetic Inuyasha finishing off three servings before Kagome had time to finish her first. Not that she even noticed; meals with him always left her distracted. Sitting across from him in an intimate setting, having him eat her home-made cooking so enthusiastically, casually asking about each other's days… it was something Kagome had learned to both love and dread. Love, because these moments made her feel so content with her surroundings and with him that if she were really a kitten she'd purr; dread, because it was such a teasing little taste of something bigger, better, that she couldn't be sure would ever happen. She had a career and a business to worry about, and he was still trying to rebuild his life. Things like… marriage… probably hadn't ever crossed his mind. And she certainly wasn't about to bring it up. But oh how those moments with him left her dreaming….

Looking up from a mouthful of noodles at the wistful look on Kagome's face, Inuyasha mumbled out a barely intelligible form of "what's up with you?" which Kagome nevertheless understood. Shaking her head regretfully, she waved off the question with a playful "don't talk with your mouth full!" but Inuyasha wasn't about to give up so easily.

Swallowing the last of his favorite meal and setting the bowl aside, Inuyasha leaned back with his arms crossed over his chest, setting her with his best look of annoyance and waited. Kagome schooled her features, racking her brain for some change of topic; there was no way she was going to tell him, but Inuyasha was a stubborn mule, and would sooner hug his brother than back down. 'That's it!' she thought with a snap, 'his brother!' As loathe as she was to set her beau into a rage, her pride was at stake with no other option at hand. And besides… he had to find out at some point.

"Your brother was in the papers again."

His response was instantaneous. His eyebrows pinched and his teeth clenched, and she could see his hands fisting on his crossed arms. She would owe him a lot of cuddling for this later.

"What'd the bastard do this time?" he said irritably, turning away with a huff, "Put another company under? No wait, I know: a rival tycoon was found beheaded in his bathtub again, right? Damn Dog's got the city paid off…."

As he took up a steady growl, Kagome was regretting more and more ever bringing up such a painful topic – and it was about to get worse. 'At least he's hearing it from me and not someone else… hopefully I'll be able to help.' She teetered on the edge of her chair, debating on how best to temper the news, and decided to just go for broke. Quickly she rose and padded over to him, pulling herself sideways onto his lap and resting her hands on his shoulders as he stared at her with a very confused blush. Picking at the loose threads on his red sweater-vest, Kagome took a moment to steel her nerves before meeting his eyes and saying "Sesshomaru adopted a little girl."

He looked as though she'd just clocked him over the head, and she couldn't say she was surprised. His arms came up to wrap lazily around her waist, and his face became deceptively calm, even morphing into a little smile; the sight made her wince. "I'm sorry" he said in a light voice that sounded just as forced as it was, "you wanna run that by me again?"

Kagome was really considering just kissing him and trying to make him forget all about the conversation, but it was far too late for that and she knew it. "He adopted a little orphan girl. A human."

She could feel him tensing all around her, and briefly thought of getting off before the inevitable eruption; however, the thought that her being there would probably save her kitchen some collateral damage kept her glued to his legs.

"Heh. Smart move."

A bit startled by his calm response, Kagome looked over at him, though his eyes were turned away from her. Before she could form a question he continued "It's a brilliant publicity stunt: wealthy tycoon takes in orphaned brat, gives her a life she couldn't even dream of, the public hearts turn to mush, and business explodes."

Kagome sat frozen as a statue, not sure of what to make of Inuyasha's surprising clarity over the situation. She had thought she'd need to explain it, but he was no dummy. Her budding relief was quickly squashed by his next words, positively dripping in venom.

"I wonder, why the change of heart? Which advisor concocted this little beauty of an angle? And why the hell didn't he think of this 20 YEARS AGO?!"

He was seething, his eyes boring holes into the floor and his hands gripping the chair. Tears pricked Kagome's eyes, and she leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder and stroking his chest in what she hoped was a comforting gesture. "I'm sorry…" she said in a wobbly voice, "I shouldn't have brought it up."

Her meek little voice took the fight right out of him, and with a heavy sigh Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her, laying his cheek on top of her head as he spoke up gruffly "Shut up Kitten, it ain't your fault… I never wanted to live with him anyways. I'm just… mad that everyone's gonna be fawnin' over him again. The papes are so afraid of him, and you know how that Kagura spins every story to make him look like some damn benefactor… I just hate it, is all."

Kagome managed a sad smile, not at all fooled. She'd known about the blood-feud for a while now, and couldn't blame Inuyasha for his bitterness. If only Sesshomaru had taken his orphaned brother under his wing, if only he'd shown up to the trial that put Inuyasha behind bars… if only he hadn't been so hated by other demons, causing inmates to lash out at the half-demon in misplaced hate towards the _full_ -demon…. She took another glance at the scars on his cheeks, placed with cruel pre-meditation; the other prisoners had been trying to give him markings like his brother.

"Whatever. I'm done talking about this."

Relieved and just as ready to forget she'd ever heard the news, Kagome reached up to tug lightly on a soft dog-ear, and as he turned still hurting eyes to her, she mustered up a smile and said "The Lone Ranger's on in a few. How about we move this party to the couch?"

For a split second she saw a look of gratitude, but before her heart could even start to ache over it, his face broke into a grin, and he scooped her off his lap and into his arms, effortlessly carrying her into the living room. He set her down by the tall radio set and made himself comfortable on the couch. With practiced ease Kagome tuned the set to the right station, the static clearing into the enthusiastic tenor voice of the host as he sung the praises of a new brand of shoe-polish. Settling into the crook of Inuyasha's arm with just as much ease if not more, Kagome snuggled up against him, flinging an arm around his torso and holding him tightly as the show's opening trumpet fare filtered out from the wooden box. Even as the sound of galloping hooves and shout of "Hi Ho Silver!" met her ears, Kagome felt exhaustion sweep over her, and before the opening was even finished, she'd drifted into a cozy sleep against her warm half-demon.

* * *

It was hours before Inuyasha found the will to move her. She was prone to dozing during their radio-dates, and he'd turned the lights out early to encourage her rest. The program and several others had long since ended, and even the evening orchestra bits had fizzled out into static as the station went off-air for the night. Not that Inuyasha had paid much attention; what with his girl nestled at his side, he didn't have much to spare. At least the programs had been useful in keeping his thoughts from wandering to his brother and his new charge, but now that they were over, he had little else but Kagome's rhythmic breathing to distract his thoughts.

Why on earth would his cold-hearted brother agree to take in a kid? A little girl! A _human_ girl! It didn't make any sense… but then, his brother had never made much sense to him. He had meant what he'd said: he wouldn't have wanted to live on his brother's estate any more than he wanted to be in jail. Sesshomaru was about as warm and welcoming as a snowman, and Inuyasha was more than happy to keep his distance. Still… it wouldn't hurt for the guy to at least pretend he had some living relations. Everyone else knew, thanks to Inuyasha's scandalous trial, but Sesshomaru always refused to acknowledge the claims. He'd also refused to defend Inuyasha in court, and that hurt more than anything. He'd always wondered if his brother's refusal was in retaliation for Inuyasha cutting off his arm at their dad's funeral; if it was, boy could that guy ever hold a grudge….

A soft groan broke the half-demon from his stewing, and the shifting weight beside him drew his attention down to Kagome, her brows scrunched and lips pouting as she dreamed. Without even thinking he bent slightly to kiss her forehead, and almost instantly her features calmed and she settled into his side with a sigh.

Once he was sure she was sleeping deeply again, he moved away as carefully as he could and gently lifted her into his arms, walking towards the hallway and the door to her bedroom. He was debating whether or not to wake her so she could change into her nightgown, when a feline-growl met his sensitive ears, and he looked back down to see Buyo peeking out from under the couch, his round head low and ears flat against his head, staring wide-eyed at the closed window and emitting a sound which Inuyasha knew only meant one thing: _danger_.

Inuyasha's grip on Kagome tightened, his senses suddenly on high-alert. It was faint, but he could sense demonic auras: either they weren't trying to hide, or they assumed none of the humans in the apartment complex would be able to sense them. Either way, it worked well for the ex-con.

Silently, he set Kagome back onto the couch, taking up a defensive stance between her and the drawn curtain of the window. He was unwilling to leave her unprotected in her room, but also realized having her so defenseless behind him was a liability. Coming to a quick decision, he stepped back and crouched down beside her, his eyes never leaving the window as he reached over and placed one hand firmly over her mouth while the other shook her awake. Her bleary return to consciousness was hurried along by panic as she felt herself being restrained, but once her eyes cleared and she saw the bright yellow of Inuyasha's eyes glance back at her in the faint light through the break in the curtains, she immediately stilled. With a subtle jerk of his head he motioned towards the window, and that paired with Buyo's vocal warnings brought her to full awareness. She nodded, her eyes drawn in determination, and Inuyasha withdrew his hands to slip silently to the window. He crouched low, picking up his knife from where he'd left it, and rose to full height with his back flush against the wall, muscles tensed and ready to spring. Kagome likewise prepared, slipping her hand under the couch to pull out a stack of ofuda she'd been gifted by their detective friend. She was ever-grateful to the strain of spiritual power that ran through her family-line, though frankly she trusted Miroku's demon-binding charms over those of her grandfather.

A faint scuffling on the outside ledge alerted Inuyasha that the intruders were close, and by the time he heard the window latch click, he was poised to swing. The flap of curtain fabric was all the sound the prowlers made as they rushed into the room, but their stealth was quickly undermined by Inuyasha's speed. With a ferocious growl he was on each of them in seconds, hitting with carefully placed stabs and slices meant to down them but not kill – he was in no mood to go back to jail. Kagome was on his heels, throwing her spiritually charged strips of paper onto the would-be-assailants and rendering them immobile. When the flurry of movement came to a standstill, Kagome rushed to the wall to turn on the lights, revealing five demons in dark attire, helplessly bound but glaring daggers at their targets.

Kagome gasped as familiar faces of known criminals met her eyes, and Inuyasha smirked triumphantly. "Well well, if it ain't the Thunder Brothers!" he knelt down beside Hiten, the more humanoid brother clenching his teeth as his eyes bled murder. Inuyasha's smile widened at the sight. "Pretty stupid move, attacking an attorney ready to dump a pile of dirt over your head in court tomorrow. Decide to turn yourselves in and plead for a lighter sentence? Breaking and entering don't look so good to a jury."

Kagome came to stand beside him, her hands on her hips and nose in the air. "Serves you right, trying to tamper with a trial! Honestly, whose stupid idea was this?"

Inuyasha scoffed, rising to his feet and wrapping a firm arm around his girl's waist as he said angrily, glaring pointedly at each demon bleeding onto the carpet "I dunno, but they picked the wrong lawyer to mess with."

Looking up at him with shining eyes, Kagome leaned forward to kiss his cheek, but jumped with a gasp as something crashed into the door of her apartment. Inuyasha held her protectively in one arm, knife raised and ready in the other, as the door crashed in and two figures rushed inside, guns in hand.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and sheathed his knife as Sango and Miroku stopped cold in the room's entryway, staring down at the motionless gang of demons with evident shock. "Thanks for the thought, but could you two be any later?!" Inuyasha growled, ushering Kagome away from the bloody scene, stopping only to extract Buyo from his cowering spot beneath the couch and plop him into Kagome's arms. Her arms became a little fuller when Shippo rushed into the room, yelling her name in a panicky voice as he jumped onto her shoulder, only slightly startling her ever-patient cat.

"Kagome! We were so worried! I heard the demons were coming to get the pictures! They said they were gonna shut you up for good! Oh Kagome!" The little paper-boy fox clung desperately to her neck, whimpering pathetically until Kagome brushed a soft hand through his orange hair.

"Oh Shippo, I'm sorry for worrying you! It's okay though – Inuyasha was here, so I was perfectly safe!" Still sniffling, Shippo glanced over at Inuyasha's annoyed expression before his gaze was drawn to the group on the floor and he shivered at the still glaring intruders.

"Uh, Kagome…" he began in a shaky voice, swallowing noisily before continuing in a squeaky voice "shouldn't we take them out of here or something? They're givin' me the creeps."

Kagome giggled and patted his head, and Miroku shook from his stupor to join in "Excellent idea Shippo! I'm sure the police would _love_ to see these old friends. C'mon Bloodhound, let's take these deadweights down to the station before they stain Miss Kagome's carpet too horribly."

Inuyasha sputtered angrily, looking imploringly at Kagome who likewise appeared put-out to have him leave. "But… what about Kagome? It ain't safe here!"

"I'll stay" Sango volunteered, approaching her friend and giving Buyo a friendly scratch under his chin which set the fat cat purring. "With my gun and her ofuda, we should be alright for the rest of the night. Now get these thugs out of here – they're starting to scare me too."

The ex-con looked ready to protest again, but Kagome's clear voice cut him off as she said hesitantly "It's alright Inuyasha. I… I guess I'll see you tomorrow then! Thank you for a wonderful evening!"

At the red on her cheeks he blushed in return, shoving his hands in his pockets as he approached and said gruffly "Yeah… tomorrow" before kissing her cheek and hurrying away self-consciously to grab the unresponsive Hiten and sling him over his shoulder. "Let's go Flatfoot. I don't want this to take any longer than it has to." He took a few steps toward the door before pausing, then with a growl piled three more demons on top of the gang-leader and made his way to the window, flinging it open with his free arm and leaping the three stories to the sidewalk.

Miroku sighed as he watched him go, saying ruefully "Of course he leaves Manten for me." The private detective approached the large, reptilian demon, circling a bit as the bulky demon started to sweat.

"Quit your whinin' I've got him."

Inuyasha climbed back through the window, grabbed the oversized burglar in one arm and jumped back to the street, calling back over his shoulder "You can take the long way down!"

Miroku chuckled, having expected such a response, and tipped his hat to the amused girls watching the scene. "Till tomorrow then, dolls! If you need me, I'll be out on the street, waiting in the cold with an angry ex-convict for the police to come and take out the trash. Wish me luck and good health!"

Sango smirked, holstering her gun and teasing "You sure you don't want me to go with you? I could send Inuyasha back up – it might be more pleasant for everyone."

"Sango, I have absolutely no doubt that your company would be far preferable to Bloodhound's." He frowned then, though Sango could still see the humor in his eyes, and said "Let's just say it's a little payback for interrupting my stakeout."

* * *

*Author's Note:

Yooooo sorry this took so long - I got sidetracked by my other fics (namely "Dizzy Defense" - the InuKag prequel to this fic) even though I had started it ages ago and like... whipped out the rest of it in two days. :P It took me a while to figure out exactly how I wanted things to happen, but they fell into place pretty quickly. SO! Lots of fluff. And some backstory. But mostly OTP fluff. Next time however, is the trial, and while I don't want to bore everyone with a court hearing, I want to try and write the exciting bits out, and write them accurately, so... no idea when that chapter will be done. It's started, but I need to watch a lot more Perry Mason before I can really make a dent in it.

Also, if you need a soundtrack for this chapter, I highly recommend any Artie Shaw orchestra stuff, as well as old 1930s "The Lone Ranger" recordings, all of which can be found on youtube. Seriously, they're so fun. :D

As always, thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has been keeping up with this fic and reviewing and faving and following and whatnot! It's a joy to write, and I absolutely love this au world, and I'm glad to hear that others love it too!


	8. Trials of the Head and Heart

~Miroku, Private Eye~

Chapter 8: Trials of the Head and Heart

* * *

"Your Honor" Byakuya began in a loud voice, sweeping gracefully from his chair with practiced ease, "This Attorney allows that my client, Thunder Demon Hiten did in fact, yesterday around midnight, break into the apartment of one Kagome Higurashi, Defense Lawyer in this case, and affirms that he did so as part of harmless, albeit ill-conceived prank." He paused a moment at the outraged cries of a few spectators in the courtroom, allowing Judge Ungai to bang his gavel and retain order before continuing with a gracious nod, "However, after testimony from the man in question, it has been brought to my attention that not only was the young lady claiming to be the victim completely unharmed, but Hiten was unjustly attacked and brutalized by one formerly convicted felon, Inuyasha, in her company."

Murmuring broke over the crowd again, as well as what sounded like faint growling, before the stern-faced Judge Ungai stilled the room with a glare. "That's quite a claim" Ungai stated, his authoritative voice full of warning, "But the man _making_ the claim is not currently the one on trial. We will deal with Hiten and his brother's case at a later date. In the meantime, your client has been called up for questioning." The human judge turned his harsh gaze from the easy smile of the demon attorney to the scowling demon he represented, saying drolly "If there are no further excuses, would Thunder Demon Hiten approach the bench?"

Eyes bleeding murder, Hiten rose from his chair in the audience, rolling his eyes as a sunken-eyed human swore him in, the man sweating under the demon's ire as he clutched at a book of law.

With a nod from the Judge Kagome stood, reigning in her personal anger as she approached the red-eyed demon. 'This is about Jinenji – not me' she urged herself. She quickly employed a little trick her grandfather had taught her to re-center her thoughts; spiritual powers had surprising usefulness for an attorney. "Mr. Hiten" she began, her normally sweet voice turning stern in an imitation of her mother's rare scolding tone, "Would you tell the jury what your occupation is?"

Hiten scoffed at her, but at the Judge's raised eyebrow relented and answered "Electrician."

"And you are employed as an electrician on the West-Side of the city, is that correct?"

"Obviously" he retorted, his gaze venomous. "That's where any self-respecting demon lives, isn't it?"

"So you live on the West-Side, is that also correct?" Kagome prodded, noting with satisfaction his growing irritation. If she could get him to crack and lose his temper, he'd be more apt to speak without thinking, and more likely to give her a confession.

"That's what I just said, isn't it?" Hiten spat, but at Ungai's tired "Just answer the question", the Thunder Demon grit his teeth and said simply "Correct."

"And are you aware" Kagome said in a louder tone, even as she looked away from the bench to casually inspect her nails, "that demons from the West-Side of town are not allowed on the East-Side of town after 10p.m. without documented permission?"

"I am. What's your point?"

"Your Honor" Byakuya spoke up from the gate, waiting impatiently for his chance to speak on behalf of the client whose fuse was plainly growing short, "I would like to know as well what all these banal questions are pointing to, and ask that Miss Higurashi get to her point before the assembly dies of boredom."

Scrunching her nose in frustration at the Demon Attorney's interference, Kagome turned persistent eyes at Judge Ungai and said "Your Honor, the defense is simply attempting to establish facts before we present evidence. I ask that I be allowed to continue my examination?"

"Proceed" Ungai said shortly, "But I also ask that you condense your questioning to only what is pertinent to the case."

"My apologies" Kagome said tightly, "I was trying to avoid any assumptions. I have no intentions of sending an innocent man to jail."

She was sure he hadn't missed the ice in her voice or the fire in her glare, and was grateful when he made no move to call out her rather pointed remark. He knew she was referring to Inuyasha's case, a case where he'd made the final ruling, and it seemed he was in no rush to have his past mistakes brought up in public, allowing her subtle dig to sweep over the room unnoticed.

"What would you say, Mr. Hiten" she asked, turning her attention back to the witness, "If I were to tell you that you were seen on several occasions in the East-Side of town, after hours and in the vicinity of Jinenji's neighborhood?"

Hiten's red eyes flashed dangerously, and his tone was calculating as he responded "I'd ask just who you been talking to."

"I have no doubt" she said with amusement; he was right where she wanted him. She stepped back to her table and retrieved a large envelope from Hojo, who sat surrounded by neatly organized stacks of papers, eagerly awaiting his turn to help. "The Defense would like to submit this piece of evidence for the court's consideration." She slipped the envelope onto the bench before Ungai and stepped back to wait, trying madly to contain her smirk. She really owed Miroku big-time for this. Despite his whining over his lost Cuba trip, he'd really gone above and beyond to help them all.

She was right in the middle of mentally planning a party for everyone to celebrate their success when Judge Ungai's deep voice cut through her happy thoughts. "Miss Higurashi, if you would continue please and explain your evidence to the men and women of the jury?"

Kagome hid her startled jump with a prompt nod and took back the photograph, holding it up for the group of humans and demons to see as she explained "This photograph was taken four days ago, and clearly shows both Thunder-Demon brothers Hiten and Manten, as well as several other West-Side Demons, in a human neighborhood near the Defendant Jinenji's house."

"That ain't proof of anything!" Hiten shouted, leaning over the stand in his anger. The resounding smack of Ungai's gavel brought him back to his seat, but was followed by the Judge's sharp voice saying "The witness will not speak out of turn; however, the court is going to need more than just a vague photograph to place Hiten at the scene in question."

"Well" Kagome continued, a smug look growing over her face to match the one her boyfriend always wore, "I happen to be in a position to give you that. You see" she brought the photograph up to point at a sign lit by street lamps not far behind where the shady group of demons stood, and explained "this is the sign for a bakery owned by Yuka Tatewaki, an old friend of mine. The business is privately owned and operated, and there is only one. Furthermore, it is three blocks from Jinenji's neighborhood, in easy walking distance. Miss Tatewaki is here in court and ready to confirm everything I've just told you."

"Alright Miss Higurashi" Judge Ungai said, steepling his fingers as he gave her a ponderous look, "you've established the location, but can you also establish a time?"

"I can, Your Honor, and I will." Grabbing a sheet of paper from Hojo, Kagome held up the new evidence. "This flyer for the bakery was sent out several weeks ago, detailing business hours and contact information. As you can see, the bakery is open until 10 pm and no later. Miss Tatewaki can testify that she is very prompt with her hours and never closes early." Shuffling hands, Kagome returned to the photograph and proudly stated "And as you can clearly see from this photograph, the lights inside the bakery are off and it is unmistakably closed." She brought her attention back to the judge and said "I believe I am safe in assuming that, were her publicized hours kept and Yuka indeed left work after 10 and no earlier, that this would mean Hiten and the demons accompanying him were in the East-Side of town after curfew?"

Ungai looked over the evidence, clearly impressed despite his best efforts to remain neutral, and handed the evidence over to be prepared for the jury. "Thank you Miss Higurashi, we will take this evidence into consideration. Will that be all for this witness?"

"No" she said quickly, her voice sharp and eager. Her fingers laced together to stop their nervous twitching as she prepared herself for the next part of her defense. This was the clincher – her entire case hinged now on whether she could get Hiten to sing like a canary or not. She had all the evidence, but the jury was anything but impartial. As long as her client was a half-demon, the mixed demon and human jury were almost guaranteed to be against him. She would need irrefutable evidence _and_ a confession to get him out of _this_ jam. Kagome spared a glance out into the watching assembly, catching an encouraging smile from Sango and thumbs-up from Miroku before her gaze rested on Inuyasha, and he sent her a proud grin that had her insides flittering with a whole different set of nerves.

Hearing the judge pointedly clear his throat, the young attorney whipped back to the front to see not only the judge watching her with a frown, but also the witness and his lawyer. The two shared a brief glance and subtle smirk, and Kagome felt her blood chill. They were planning something.

"Mr. Hiten" she started up again, reinforcing her stern tone to show them she would _not_ be intimidated, "Would you explain to the court what it was you were doing in a human neighborhood, after curfew, four days ago when this photograph was taken?"

The court was silent, all sides listening intently for an answer from the man in question, but he didn't answer immediately. He glared at the Judge's harsh prompting, but soon returned his eyes to Kagome's as a grin began to form on his face. Kagome frowned, her fingers tapping on her crossed arms. 'I've got him' Kagome thought with triumph, 'he doesn't have an alibi! But then…' her tapping finger slowed and frown deepened as she mused 'why is he smiling?'

And before she had a moment more to ponder the strange behavior, Hiten opened his mouth and barked.

The room went silent, the tension squeezing the air in Kagome's lungs like a vice. Did… did he just….

As if to answer her unspoken question he barked again in an unmistakable imitation of a dog, and the hard crack of wood followed the noise as Judge Ungai beat his gavel against his podium. Under the heavy bass of "ORDER! ORDER!" the crowd could be heard muttering and whispering in a hive-like drone, and Kagome found herself unable to shut the noises out.

"Mr. Hiten" Ungai said at last, some of the chatter dying down at the threat in his voice, "You will answer the question or I will find you in contempt of court." He leaned down slightly to glare at the widely smirking demon, saying firmly "Do I make myself clear?"

"Of course, Your Honor" Hiten said through an arrogant smile, "I just figured if the Defense thought I was a mutt she might let me off easier."

Above the ensuing gossip was the scraping of chairs and a familiar growl; Kagome didn't dare turn back to look at him, but she was more than grateful that both Sango and Miroku were around to restrain the livid half-demon.

She was hardly in a position at that moment to _think_ let alone handle her volatile beau. Of all the underhanded tricks… she knew exactly what Hiten and his lawyer were doing. She had backed them into a corner, and now they were lashing out, preying on her fragile credibility to throw her off the scent. And the worst part was… it was working. The thoughts she always fought so hard to suppress were running rampant and plowing straight through all the arguments she'd prepared.

Kagome would fight tooth and nail to help an innocent person, be they demon or human or both. She would do whatever it took to clear Jinenji's name. But when the imminent threat was over and the adrenaline had ebbed, she'd be left yet again with her biggest challenge, the one opponent she could never seem to shake: insecurity. She didn't have enough experience, she couldn't handle a business on her own, she couldn't fill her grandfather's shoes… and then to top it all off, she'd let herself become emotionally involved with a client. A client with a felony charge over his head. Kagome could never bring herself to regret it, but the moment her relationship with Inuyasha had come to light, her credibility in the legal world had shattered. It had taken a year of hard work to keep the business afloat, and even then…. It was lucky for her she chose to work with underdogs, because no one else would hire her services.

"If you would repeat your question, Miss Higurashi?"

Kagome glanced at the judge, trying with all her might to salvage her offense. A subtle nod was the only acknowledgment he gave, but it was enough to offer Kagome some peace of mind. He would let her proceed, regardless of what anyone else thought of her. He may have been crotchety and old-fashioned, but at least he was fair.

"If the theatrics are over" Kagome said lightly, hoping her confident tone masked the lingering doubt, "Explain to the court what you were doing on the human side of town four nights ago."

"I wouldn't answer that if I were you" Byakuya piped up, his tone unfittingly light, "Why doesn't the defense tell us what they think you were doing first?"

'So' Kagome thought with returning confidence, 'he really _doesn't_ have an alibi.' If Hiten couldn't defend himself, this would make her job much easier. "Alright, Byakuya, we'll do it your way." She approached the short podium where Hiten sat, getting daringly close and leaning an arm against the wood, "Do you smoke, Hiten?" The demon tensed, but Kagome kept her face neutral. Byakuya scoffed dismissively somewhere behind her, but she ignored him.

"Course I do. Doesn't everyone?"

Kagome shrugged, and leaned away a little, feigning disinterest. "And are you familiar with the process of making cigars?"

Hiten's glare deepened, but his voice retained its calm as he questioned back "I just said I smoked 'em, didn't I?"

"If it's alright with the court, I'm going to assume you meant that as a 'yes'." Kagome walked slowly back to her table to retrieve another photograph from her eager assistant. "So then… this photograph of you rolling cigars with the help of the other demons in question would not be unusual?" She passed the photograph casually to the Judge, who took it with an apathetic glance as if to ask "Your point?" but she paid him no mind. She was just getting started. "And these unused cigars which were found on you after you were taken into custody," Kagome continued, this time retrieving a small paper bag from Hojo and placing it on the bench, "are ones you yourself made?"

Fidgeting uncomfortably in his seat, Hiten said a simple "yes", his former attitude and temper pointedly absent.

"So if I were to give you one now, you would smoke it?"

He was sweating now – she was sure of it. "I don't want it" was his only response, and Kagome couldn't resist cracking a smile.

"Fair enough. Then you wouldn't mind if I were to hand it over to someone else? Perhaps a human?"

"Objection!" Byakuya called out, his usual calm façade starting to crack under the pressure, "She's leading the witness, your Honor."

"Sustained" Ungai said in response, "And please Miss Higurashi… I appreciate your thoroughness, but we'd all like to go home at some point today."

Forcing herself not to pout, Kagome began again "The Defense has come in possession of several other cigars supposedly handed out by you, Hiten, to humans on the East-Side. We've analyzed the contents of these cigars and found some _very_ interesting ingredients: the most prominent of which being an experimentally bred herb, created by and found only in the herb garden of the Defendant, Jinenji."

Buzzing swept over the small crowd again, and Kagome continued in a louder voice "Hiten, if we were to examine the cigars found on your person, would they match the ones you were handing out to humans?"

The sound of grinding teeth was all the answer he gave.

"Understand, Hiten" Kagome said in an overly sweet voice, "these are being confiscated and will be examined as evidence. Either you can tell us what's in them now, or we'll find out anyways and _you_ might be found lying under oath."

"Alright, _human_ ," Hiten spat out, his red eyes practically glowing, "those cigars are all the same. Me and the boys made 'em ourselves. But we didn't steal the herbs – they were given to us."

"Oh! Then" she rifled through a fresh stack of photographs, pulling one from the middle and holding it up "So this _isn't_ you, in Jinenji's garden, pulling the very same herb we're talking about?" A whisper swept over the crowd as she handed the photograph to Ungai, his lips drawn and eyebrows up, impressed at the young attorney's case.

"Your Honor" Kagome said loudly, "The Defense holds that this man and his accomplices have been using the recent murders as a cover for their illegal activities. They've been framing the Defendant, Jinenji, in order to distract the authorities from their theft of experimental and highly dangerous plants."

Rubbing his chin in thought, Ungai turned his gaze down at Hiten, saying expectantly "Has the witness anything to say against this claim?"

Hiten bristled, glancing anxiously at Byakuya, who shook his head slowly, his expression withdrawn. Clenching his jaw, Hiten scoffed and said bitterly "Alright, we took 'em. The half-breed didn't bother trying to hide them – serves him right." His snide remark turned defensive as he finished "But we didn't kill anybody."

"I know you didn't… not directly anyways" Kagome said lightly, fanning the rest of the photographs in her hands. "If the court will allow me a few more minutes, I'd like to wrap things up by placing the few remaining puzzle pieces. Judge Ungai?" At a nod from the older man, Kagome handed him her stack of photographs and declared "Here is your murderer – or should I say, _murderers_."

"Demons?" Ungai questioned, his face showing shock at the grotesque, half-eaten corpses in the sewers.

Nodding, Kagome continued "Demons which don't normally live in sewers, but were in the tunnels under Jinenji's neighborhood. They were just larvae but were also out of their natural habitat and starving. So, they turned to the nearest food source: humans. The police have already investigated the area, rounded up the demons, and identified the remains." She gestured to the assemblage and said "A police representative is here for examination, if you'd like. I believe he'll confirm that all of the missing people are now accounted for." Kagome paused, swallowing as she thought back on the reports she'd seen… of all the people who had been devoured by the bug demons. Death had become so familiar to her, an inevitable aspect of her work, and yet her heart still ached with every lost life. "Our deepest condolences go to the families."

"Very well" Ungai said, his sober attitude creating a heavy atmosphere in the court. "We'll take a brief recess for the jury to discuss this new evidence. We'll return in an hour."

At the final crack of his gavel, Kagome sagged, wanting but waiting to wipe her sweaty brow. Even through her mental fatigue, Kagome found the energy to smile as she walked back to her table and saw Jinenji's teary blue eyes and grateful expression.

* * *

"I believe a celebration is in order!" Miroku said with a laugh, reaching out an arm to give the beaming Defense Attorney a congratulatory hug. He was apprehended in his path by a clawed hand, turning his devilish smirk on Inuyasha and throwing his arm over the half-demon's shoulders instead. "C'mon Bloodhound, dinner's on me! I'm treating everyone to sandwiches!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, shrugging off the detective's friendly gesture with a curt "All that dough you're getting' for this case ain't gonna last you a week if you keep this up. You're better off leavin' the lettuce to Slugger."

Inuyasha dodged the jab thrown at him by Sango, retreating behind Kagome who was shaking her head fondly. "Oh honestly, you three! I think dinner is a great idea!" Turning to her assistant, she said brightly "Why don't you join us, Hojo?"

The glowing disbelief on the young man's face was slightly tempered when his boss added "And could you invite Jinenji and his mother as well? I think they deserve a treat after all that's happened!" With a resigned sigh but helpful smile, he was off to extend the invitation, and Kagome laughed as Miroku's heavy sigh reached her ears. "Oh c'mon, your paycheck can accommodate a couple more sandwiches! Especially after we get through the 'breaking and entering' case!"

Inuyasha scoffed, his posture stiff and proud as he said "Them brothers sure were stupid to pull a stunt like that. They coulda got off easy, what with confessing and all."

"Indeed!" Miroku chimed, grinning and added "Our lovely lawyer did a masterful job pulling teeth in that one!"

Kagome flushed, saying hurriedly "It was necessary! I couldn't rely on the jury to put it all together! You know how people can be…." Her somber gaze turned up to the half-demon beside her, and he looked back at her with equal intensity.

Miroku cleared his throat pointedly, shaking the mood and adding cheekily "Yes, well, we all know your way with 'people', Kagome." His hands shot up defensively as the ex-con sent him a scathing look, which he returned with a grin and a shrug.

"OH!"

The sudden exclamation from the young lawyer shook the group, all eyes turning to stare at her as she frantically patted down the pockets of her blazer. Confused and amused expressions followed her actions as she rifled through her briefcase and gave a despairing cry. "My notepad!" She said in a panicky voice, "I must have left it inside! There's sensitive information in that thing!"

"Clumsy Kitten, you'd forget your head if I let ya!"

Instead of glaring at him as Inuyasha thought she would, her expression fell into one of embarrassment, arms folding around her defensively as her eyes remained glued to the ground.

"H-hey!" Inuyasha stuttered anxiously, his own panic mimicking hers, "I didn't mean it you know! It ain't your fault or nothin'!"

"You're right though" she said morosely, "I don't know what Grandpa was thinking. I'm too scatter-brained for a job like this!" Her shoulders fell further and her eyes took on a glassy sheen as her earlier insecurities reared their ugly heads, and she continued in a small voice "People's freedom depends on me; if I mess up… I could ruin their lives!"

A year's worth of practice had taught the ex-con many valuable lessons in dealing with his emotional Kitten, and he was quick to wrap her in a comforting hug, though he couldn't help glancing around alertly for malicious prying eyes. "It's okay, Kagome, it's just a silly pad o' paper."

"I'll get it for you" Sango spoke up abruptly, "I'm sure I saw it on the bench. I don't think anyone will notice if I slip back in for it."

Kagome looked appreciatively around Inuyasha's shoulder at her, wiping her eyes and smiling gratefully as she said in a squeaky voice "You don't mind, do you? I hate to inconvenience you like this… but… I really don't want to go back in."

Sango smiled understandingly at her pink cheeks and nodded, saying with a wave "I'll be back in five – don't you worry!" Slipping away from the group and jogging back up the stone staircase to the judicial hall, the private investigator turned on her best look of nonchalance as she nodded to the police men walking the halls and slipped back into the medium-sized room where Jinenji's trial had been held.

She paused at the sight of someone at the defendant's table, their back to her and posture hunched as they bent over the desk. Something wasn't right. She had thought perhaps the judge or a lawyer might still be here, but this was someone she didn't remember seeing at the trial. Furthermore, he was right where Kagome had left her notes, and if his purpose was what she thought it was, it spelled trouble for all of them.

"Hey!" she called out, fists clenching as she subconsciously prepared herself for a fight. At her shout the figure turned, shock and fear written across his face as his eyes met hers. But Sango didn't notice his expression; she didn't care in that moment why he would be afraid or what he had been doing. The only thing that mattered was that she was looking into the eyes of her little brother for the first time in years.

"K-Kohaku…"

She saw him gulp, his youthful face thinner than it used to be, circles under his eyes that hadn't been there back when they'd lived at the gym. He looked terrible. Sango's roving gaze eventually trailed to the hands clutching a pad of paper in a white-knuckled grip, and her stomach dropped.

"Kohaku… what are you doing?"

Something behind the panic in his eyes snapped, and before she could fully register what was happening he and the notepad were gone, the far door of the court room swinging as he bolted. She was on his heels like fire.

"Kohaku! _Kohaku_! Someone, stop him!"

At her frantic cries, the police in the corridors made dives for the boy, but they were all too slow as he nimbly evaded and outran their attempts. Sango cursed at her legs to go faster, but it seemed even her experienced body was no match for his light weight. He had always been quick in the ring.

They burst through the front doors, Sango on his heels as she surged forward to catch him, but in one quick move he was astride the railing of the long staircase leading to the street, sliding away out of her grasping reach. For a brief moment Sango was filled with sisterly consternation at his reckless move, but the bizarre old feeling was pushed back as she flew down the stairs, taking several at a time, not bothering to worry about silly things like falling.

She had to reach him, no matter what.

With a shout to her gathered friends still waiting on the sidewalk, all three were suddenly in action, racing towards the boy without need for explanation. Inuyasha was mere steps from him as he dashed into the street before a black car screeched to a halt between them, almost running over the ex-con as a door opened and Kohaku was pulled roughly inside.

Sango caught one fleeting glimpse of a white fur coat in the passenger's seat before the car was careening out of range and out of sight back into the busy city. Inuyasha was cursing up a storm as the others approached, and even Kagome's small hand gripping his arm wasn't enough to calm his temper. Sango knew why though: he'd seen the same thing she had.

Naraku was in that car, and Kohaku had gone with him.

* * *

*Author's Note:

Finally getting some crime drama in here :P What can I say? I'm a sucker for fluff. I'm sure the court scene is full of inaccuracies and unlawful practices and such, but this isn't necessarily America, so just assume they're working on a different system that allows for whatever kinds of law mistakes I made. I'm not a law student. I'm an artist. *shrugs*

Anyhoot, thanks so much for sticking with this story, everyone! Your support means the world to me, and I'm always happy to hear that I'm making other people happy! 3


	9. Stress-Relief

~Miroku, Private Eye~

Chapter Nine: Stress-Relief

* * *

A thunderous crack and the shake of a metal chain filled the garage as Sango pulled back for another swing. Her glove met the punching bag again and again, sweat trickling down her face to join the soaked neckline of her loose white shirt. Another image of her little brother climbing willingly into the car of a madman flitted across her mind, and she grit her teeth. Digging her toe against the dirty floor, she reeled back and propelled her next punch straight forward, the force bending the hook on which the bag hung and sending the punching bag crashing against a nearby workbench.

Sango stood staring at it for a while, regaining her breath and feeling a strange sort of satisfaction in the downed target. It was brief, but nice to experience something other than pain. She'd had enough of that particular emotion to last at least two lifetimes.

The door behind her creaked on rusty hinges and sunlight lit up the dusty room as someone entered her hideaway. She knew who it was instantly from their silence.

"I suppose the 'no trespassing sign' means nothing to you?" Pulling off her gloves and wiping the sweat gathering beneath her bangs, Sango turned to see her partner standing silhouetted in the still open doorway. She was sure he was doing it on purpose; the glow around him was obviously meant to intimidate her. It certainly couldn't be her own mind making him seem so bright, so welcoming, like an oasis of warmth that she ached to bask in.

"Kirara led me right to you" he said quietly, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. Sango blinked as her eyes adjusted back to the darkness, and after a brief moment noticed the worry etched into Miroku's face.

Pursing her lips, she turned away and went to fetch the fallen punching bag. Examining the stand, she noticed with chagrin that the screw would need replacing, meaning no more training sessions until it was fixed. "Well? You came all this way – what do you want?" She let the sawdust-filled bag drop to the floor with a thud, not caring as it rolled away slightly on the uneven floor; she side-stepped it and went to hang up her gloves, actively avoiding looking Miroku in the face.

"You haven't shown up for work in several days" he remarked casually, no hidden accusations or questions, just a statement of fact.

"I was busy" she replied curtly, dabbing at her slick neck with a scrappy towel. 'Go away' she thought morosely, 'I'm not ready to talk to you yet. I'm not ready to accept this.'

But Miroku never heard her silent plea, and came closer to stand beside her as she resolutely looked away. "Sango…" his voice tugged at her heart, the aching muscle protesting further aggravation. Her eyes hardened in response, each second of silence adding a brick to the walls around her emotions.

"You don't have to handle this on your own."

She whirled on him, her red eyes glaring across at his shaded blue, and spat "Don't pretend like you understand this, Miroku! Don't pretend like you know what I'm going through! He's my _brother_! I thought he was dead. I'd rather… I'd rather he _were_ dead, than to think that he's… that he'd…." Her voice shook, her fingers wringing the towel in her hands as her knuckles turned white, "I can't believe he'd work with the man who killed our father."

She startled slightly at a touch on her shoulders, but his usually wandering hands were warm and comforting and remained still. "You're right" Miroku said smoothly, bending slightly to catch her eye, "I can only imagine what you must be going through. But what I do know… is that it hurts me to see you in so much pain, and to not be able to help. Please, Sango… won't you let me help you?"

"How could you possibly help?" Her eyes dropped to his collar, anger fading at his insistence. "We've been hunting down Naraku for ages… there's no way we'll suddenly find him, not when our luck's been so rotten. What makes this time any different?"

Despite her despairing glance, Miroku smiled, and nudged her chin with his finger, saying "Because this time I won't let you down. No breaks, no vacations, no case takes precedence over this. I won't fail you this time, Doll."

Sango hadn't realized how much she'd needed such reassurance until she heard those words. His calm, confident demeanor left her feeling lighter than she had in days, and as she locked eyes with him, she was overcome by the emotions she always held back around him. He was being so kind, so warm, so encouraging, so much of everything she loved to see in him; the little bits of his personality that he liked to hide under a suave smile and flirtatious habits. Every time he let that mask slip, she felt herself falling for him; and every time she felt herself fall, she clung even tighter to the edge of the status quo.

Flinging her towel across the room, she choked out "How many dames have you told that to? How many girls have you left, drowning in trouble, while you ran away with all their hopes?" Her mauve eyes blazed as she turned back on him with enough venom to make him take a step back. "Don't you dare make me any promises you don't intend to keep, Miroku. I don't deserve that."

She'd been expecting him to turn anxious; maybe scratch at the back of his head searching for words or to nervously twitter. Sango didn't expect to see him look so hurt.

"You really think I'd do that to you?" His voice was softer than she wanted to hear, but his gaze was steady. "You should know more than anyone how much I've changed; _you've changed me_ , Sango. I thought you realized that." Both hands came to rest on her shoulders as he said firmly "I would never abandon you like that. You're my partner, my friend. Maybe the old Miroku would've chickened out, but… not on you. Never on you."

Her clammy hands clenched into a fist as she stared him down, determined to look angry despite a desperate voice inside yelling that she believed him. There was another voice, buried deeper, that vindictively whispered "Shima" over and over again. "What makes me so special, huh? How do I know that's not just another line?"

"I suppose my word isn't enough, is it?" His fingers brushed along her arm as his hands fell, and with a weary sigh he stepped back. Sango watched him turn away from her, saw his dejected frown and read the grim acceptance in his posture, and came to a sickening realization: she was driving him away. He was going to leave her… just like her brother. And she couldn't bear to lose him.

The only sound in the room was Sango's shaky breath and Miroku's muffled gasp as suddenly she grabbed his retreating arm, tugging him by the shirt collar until her lips met his. Her eyes were scrunched closed against the impending tears; she wouldn't have had the courage to look at him then anyways. He was unresponsive, but Sango kept him locked against her, going so far as to release her grip on his shirt and wrap her arms around his shoulders. She didn't dare consider what he might have thought of her in that moment. Sure, this probably wasn't the first time a girl had thrown herself at him, but she knew that for him, for both of them, this was different. Ready or not, for better or worse… this would change things.

A single hand traced lightly across her back, but Sango's only reaction was to angle her mouth more firmly against his, and soon his other hand was pressing her closer as he finally reciprocated. He kept the kiss simple, pulling back every now and then only to meet her lips in earnest, and she was grateful that he let her set the pace. She'd surprised herself by her actions, but one thing she knew for certain: whatever had driven her to do it didn't matter. In that moment, in his arms, she no longer felt alone.

After a lingering kiss Miroku pulled back, resting his forehead against hers and breathing shakily. Daring to peak an eye open, Sango looked up to see her partner's eyes shut tight, his brows pinched and breath shallow as though he'd just finished a round in the ring. She noted that his hands were still lightly brushing up and down her back, and she was honestly surprised that they'd yet to venture further south. Judging from his expression, it seemed he was too distracted to even think about copping a feel.

And it was then, in a very sudden moment of clarity as the fog of emotion cleared, that Sango realized what she – what they – had just done. Her face grew warm, and reflexively she pulled away to hide her embarrassment. There was a quiet sound of protest from Miroku, but he didn't say anything; her own tongue was like lead in her mouth. Wha… what was she supposed to say? What did they do now? She'd all but broken down in front of him, grabbed him, kissed him… and now there he was. Still standing in her dark and dingy garage, waiting. For what, she couldn't even begin to guess.

The silence stretched on another minute, the atmosphere between them growing ever more uncomfortable as neither dared to acknowledge the other's presence.

A bell-like meow had both PI's jumping, and they turned to see Kirara poking her head around the door. Sango breathed a sigh of relief as she rushed to gather the demon cat in her arms, turning to finally meet her partner's face as she said "I have a few chores to do still… I'll… I'll see you at work tomorrow."

His eyes were wide, evidently bewildered by her sudden change in mood. He took it in stride though, straightening up and clearing his throat before responding "Great! I'll catch you tomorrow then. Come in whenever you're able, no need to rush."

She nodded, still keeping her distance and holding Kirara in an almost defensive curl of her arms. She was dismissing him, and he knew it.

Miroku shuffled awkwardly on his feet for a moment more before his pursed lips turned up into a friendly smile, and he glided past her and out the door as casually as though he'd just come to drop off the paper. Sango gave him a few seconds head start before covertly leaning out of the doorway, watching him walk off slowly, his hands in his pockets and head high. As soon as he'd turned the corner, she pulled back into the dark room and let herself slump against the dusty wall, Kirara mewing quietly as she looked up questioningly to her human friend.

Her mind was buzzing, her heart thumping painfully, and her back still tingled from where Miroku's hands had swept over her. She'd never had a kiss affect her like that before.

Standing there in the silence, holding her feline friend close for comfort, Sango couldn't decide whether that had been the best risk she'd ever taken, or possibly the biggest mistake of her life.

* * *

*Author's Note:

omigosh... I'm so sorry... I know it's been ages since I updated any of my multi-chapter fics, but understand: I'm still working on all of them. It's just that it's summer and I have zero motivation. But they are NOT abandoned.

Also, sorry this chapter is pretty short, but I wanted to keep the focus on MirSan and their moment here. There will be plenty of reactionary stuff next chapter. :P

HUGE thanks to the people reading/following this fic, and MEGA HUGE THANK YOU to the people who have left reviews! You keep me going! :3


	10. Shots and Broken Glass

Miroku, Private Eye

~Chapter Ten: Shots and Broken Glass~

* * *

The tired plunk of piano keys wafted through the smokey haze of the bar, dim lights guarding the secret pain of the poor saps who came to drink. Miroku stared down into the amber liquid of his shot glass, trying to remember the feel of Sango's lips against his before the alcohol took his memories away. "I shouldn't have let her do it, Hachi… I should have stopped her."

The raccoon-dog gave his human friend a sympathetic look as he wiped down another glass. He hadn't seen Miroku drink like this in ages… not since his partner had joined the scene. But his partner had crossed a line she'd set so firmly in the concrete of their friendship, and now the detective was floundering for answers at the bottom of a bottle.

"You're making a mountain outa nothin'" Hachi tried at last, watching Miroku swirl the remainder of his drink before downing it with a wince. "Things'll be just like they always were, you'll see!"

"That's about as likely as Naraku turning himself in. You didn't see her afterwards." He slid his glass across the bar in a silent request for more, but Hachi didn't budge. "Don't you think you've had enough for one night?"

"When I'm passed out on the floor I'll let you know" he groused, knocking the small glass expectantly on the counter. The raccoon-dog fidgeted uncomfortably, his ears drooping as he weighed his options. Miroku was a good friend and the last thing he wanted was to see the man slathered… but he was also tougher than he looked, and Hachi had underestimated him before. After a moment determination set in, and squaring his small shoulders, Hachi looked the man right in his unfocused eyes and stated "I won't let you do this to yourself, Miroku! Things look bad now, but this'll only make 'em worse. You can't keep running away!"

Hachi cowered a little as Miroku set him with a bleary glare, but with a sigh the fight left the man, and he slumped onto the counter. "It's no good" He mumbled, "I can't face her now." The thunk of glass met his ears, and Miroku looked up to see Hachi pushing a glass of water across to him with a smile. He downed it greedily before handing it back, and Hachi hurried to get him a refill. "I know she didn't mean to kiss me," Miroku continued sadly, gripping the glass and waiting for his head to clear, "Hell, She might have kissed Bloodhound if I hadn't gotten there first. I know she was just hurting…. She was confused, vulnerable… I shouldn't have kissed her back. Now she's got regret on top of everything else, and it's all my fault."

"It was only a kiss" Hachi replied as he topped off Miroku's drink, "Sure she's probably embarrassed, but it's nothing to lose your head over."

Miroku laughed softly, his tone somber as he responded "Yeah, maybe she was embarrassed… maybe I'm the one with regrets."

"You?" Hachi choked in surprise, "Regretting kissing a girl?"

Miroku shook his head and continued "Believe me, if she'd wanted, I would have done more than just kiss her… but that's just it. I'm sure she knows… she knows what kind of guy I am… she must know how much I like her. By kissing her back, by indulging myself when I knew she didn't really mean it… I've lost any chance I had with her. If she's not scared off by fear of me going too far, she'll hate me for taking advantage of her when she was such a mess." He sighed, resting his head in his hand and saying "I hate myself for it too."

Watching the downtrodden man at the bar, Hachi spoke up gently "Miroku, maybe you'd better go home and sleep it off. I'm sure things will look brighter in the morning."

"Yeah, maybe" Miroku responded with a wry smile. Pushing himself off the barstool and slipping into his coat, he reached into his pocket and threw down a wad of bills before Hachi could say another word. The raccoon-dog stared slack-jawed at the money, both of them knowing it was much more than he owed. "Thanks for being my nurse-maid" Miroku quipped, glancing back once more at the demon happily counting his tip before heading out into the night.

He should have expected things would only get worse. Glaring up at the busted window of his office apartment, Miroku pushed his addled limbs to pick up the pace until he reached the front door, already ajar. Seeing Inuyasha standing sillhoutted in the lamplight from outside, the detective's sour attitude from earlier returned.

"Couldn't just wait till I came back? Had to wreck my window just like everything else? As if this day weren't bad enough."

He caught the glint of Inuyasha's inhuman eyes and heard his growl before the ex-con's voice rose up "You better stop talkin' circles, or I'm really gonna let you have it. I come lookin' for you and Slugger to help me out in a jam, and this is what I get? One o' you'se MIA and the other jumpin' down my throat?"

"By the way, stay the hell away from Sango." He was beginning to think he may have had one too many shots, but he was boldly ignoring the thought in favor of the glowing anger seeping back into his body.

"… The hell you talkin' about, Miroku?"

Turning to face the now very confused half-demon, Miroku explained in irritation "Look, Sango's a mess right now, okay? And I don't want her doin' somethin' else she'll regret."

He could just see Inuyasha's dimly lit form as he crossed his arms and cocked his head in a puppyish manner. "What you goin' on about? Just give it to me straight!"

"What I'm sayin'," Miroku answered with a glare, "Is that if she ends up kissing you too, then not only is she gonna feel worse than ever, but then I'll have to murder you, and not even poor Kagome will be able to pin it on me. Capiche?"

There was no response from the other man, and Miroku waited in sloshed silence for the tirade to begin, proud of himself for having gotten everything out in a coherent sentence. He was not at all expecting Inuyasha's reply.

"Wait… you mean Sango actually kissed you?!"

Catching himself on the desk, Miroku stumbled to his chair and slid gracelessly into it. Inuyasha hurried after him and turned on the desk lamp, flooding the small room in yellow light and illuminating his shocked expression.

"Tell me straight, you and Sango finally an item now, or what?"

The detective sat stunned, his jaw gaping up and down like a fish, until finally he was able to sputter "Wh-what's it to you?"

With a shrug Inuyasha leaned back and said "Nothin', but Kitten's been callin' it for months now, and I was hopin' I'd be able to tell her she was right so she'd shut up about it already."

"It- it was only a kiss!"

"So? That means somethin', don't it?"

"She tried to kiss you too!"

"She was slathered."

"She still tried!"

"And I didn't let her. Besides, I'm pretty sure she only did it to make you jealous. Worked, didn't it?"

"Shut up Bloodhound!"

It was an unusual reversal of moods as the PI sat fuming and the ex-con stood gloating; he wasn't usually one to look so self-satisfied, and it only made Miroku more upset. "If that's all you came to say, then get outta my office. I'd like to sleep off my liquor in peace, thanks." Glancing to the side as a breeze whistled past the broken glass of the window, the detective jabbed his thumb at the mess and said "oh and clean that up before you go."

Yellow eyes widened as Inuyasha responded with mock hurt "What, you think I did that? Sorry to break it to ya, Flatfoot, but I know how to enter through a window without bustin' it." He knelt out of sight for a moment, and when he straightened again, Miroku noticed a rock tied with a sheet of paper clutched carefully between his claws. "I ain't tampered with it – you can still dust it for prints. Looks like someone wanted t'make sure you got their message."

Feeling chagrined and less than eager to admit his mistake, Miroku simply shrugged and muttered "I'll deal with it when I'm sober" before leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. They shot open again as hands slammed onto the desk before him, pens and bottles rattling under the half-demon's strength. Meeting Inuyasha's burning gaze with his bleary one, Miroku sighed and righted himself, shaking sleep and inebriation from his mind as he looked up at his friend. "Let me guess… you didn't come here outta the goodness of your heart to inform me of my broken window?"

"Someone broke into Totosai's."

Now _that_ was a cold bucket of water over his head. He could almost hear the gears and cogs coming to life in the problem-solving part of his brain. "What'd they steal?"

"What _didn't_ they steal?" Inuyasha answered with a snarl. He hunched over the desk, teeth bared, but his eyes were staring off at something Miroku couldn't see. "Guns, knives, jewels… it's hard enough on Totosai to have his wares filched like that, and he's ready to press as many charges as you and Kitten can rack up, but…." A sudden bout of nerves seized his speech, claws scratching at the back of his short white hair, and he continued haltingly, "It ain't just Totosai they robbed from."

Miroku watched over steepled fingers, waiting for more, but the ex-con seemed unwilling to continue. "… Well? You gonna tell me who the other victims were or what?"

"…. Me."

Instantly Miroku was on edge. "You don't mean… did they get your father's knife?" The family heirloom was not only diamond edged but before the ban had been demon-magicked; if such a weapon had been stolen-

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, Flatfoot, it ain't nothin' like that." Inuyasha's dismissive attitude did nothing to calm the PI's worry. If anything, his sleuthing mind was furiously clearing the whiskey haze in order to solve the mystery his friend had set before him.

"Then what the hell are you comin' here in the middle of the night to bother me about, if it's nothing more than a burglary? I'm sorry for old Totosai, but I'm not doing no work for nobody until the morning, got it?"

"… A ring."

At first Miroku thought his inebriated mind had missed a few words, but no. That was all the other man had said. "… I'm sorry?"

"They stole a ring."

"…. I thought you said they stole –"

"They stole Totosai's stuff _and my ring_."

"…. I wasn't aware you owned any rings."

"Dammit Miroku, I _don't_! Totosai was makin' it for me, but… not _for_ me!"

"Then what… oh. Ooooh… Well hot damn."

The half-demon was the most amusing shade of pink Miroku had ever seen him, and Miroku couldn't help a long, amazed whistle. "You Dog… I didn't know you had the guts. Congratulations."

He thought he saw the slightest flicker of shock in the ex-con's eyes, a glimmer of something bright and soft and vulnerable, but it was gone with a flash of the half-demon's scowl. "There ain't gonna be any 'congrats' at all if I don't get that damn ring back." Inuyasha turned his back on his friend, saying in a taciturn mumble over his shoulder "so you gonna get off your drunk ass and help me or what?"

Not even liquor could tamper the grin spreading ear to ear on the Private Eye's face. He rose from his chair, sauntering up to stand beside Inuyasha and throwing an arm around suddenly tense shoulders. "Bloodhound, ain't rain nor shine can stop me from seeing you gussed up like a stuffed penguin and walkin' down that aisle to your Kitten. I never thought I'd get to see that prison-dog with no alibi turn into a doe-eyed husband!"

Shrugging the friendly arm from around him, Inuyasha groused "Who's 'doe-eyed'?! Besides…" his gaze fell to the ground, claws tugging absently at his trench-coat sleeve as he muttered "there ain't no tellin' whether she'll say yes."

Miroku could almost feel the man beside him shrinking away, and his responding sigh was long-suffering and very familiar to the half-demon's furry ears. "You're a real chump, you know that?" Yellow eyes snapped to him like a switch-blade, prompting the detective to add "If you think that dame would turn you down, after she's put everything on the line to give you the world… then you've got a head full of straw."

Inhuman eyes turned back to the uneven wood floor, and silence filled the dim office once again as the two men leaned side by side against the desk. The sputtering chug of a car on the street down below broke the stillness, and the detective puffed out his cheeks in a tired breath. "Look, don't worry about it – Sango and I will help you out. Her brother's case takes top billing, but I'm not gonna let you make a mess of proposing to your girl. At least, not any more of a mess than you already have."

He hid his wince under a grin as Inuyasha jabbed him with an elbow. "S'pose I got no choice…" the half-demon groused, arms crossing and face twisting into a grimace as he muttered on "Now that you and her is –"

"We're not _anything_ " Miroku cut in, "and that's got nothing to do with it. I mean… we're partners. _Partners_! That's it! A little kiss don't mean a thing!"

Inuyasha merely shrugged. "Just don't go telling Kitten, alright? And make sure Sango don't tell her neither. I know how those two like to gab." Thankful for the dog-demon's quick change of subject, Miroku was only too eager to oblige. "Whatever you want, Bloodhound."

A subtle nod was his only acknowledgement, but the ex-con's attention was diverted once again. The shining eyes, bright even in the dark room, were once again drawn back to the rock on the desk behind them. "So you gonna find out what that's about, or what?"

"… You're not gonna leave till I do, are you?"

The half-demon smirked wickedly at him. "Who said I was leavin' at all? I need a place to crash tonight, and I gotta make sure you don't slack on my case!"

Miroku pushed away from the desk with a grunt, rubbing a hand over his eyes to try and stave off the headache Inuyasha was bringing. He'd had far too many drinks for this – no doubt Bloodhound would be dunking his head in a bucket of water come morning. Or knowing his luck, Sango would find him with a hangover and use him as a punching bag for drinking on the job again. And that would probably lead to another night at Hachi's. And his cycle of bad luck would continue.

Dropping into his chair, Miroku pulled his extra glove over his good hand, and gingerly untied the note from the projectile, doggedly ignoring the golden stare of his audience. Unfolding the note so as not to damage any possible prints, he urged his tired eyes to focus. And did a double-take.

"What? What the hell's it say?"

Reading over again once more to be sure, Miroku held the note out to his friend with a flippant remark of "we can check for prints, but they've already signed it. I'm gonna need you to sniff out everything you can about that piece of paper." He watched the range of expressions crossing the half-demon's face in avid interest, seeing all of the shock and outrage he'd been expecting. "You got lucky, Inuyasha – turns out I'll be able to help you and Sango at the same time."

Inuyasha's eyes were blazing amber as he lifted his face in a snarl, dropping the note before he could crumple it in his fist. "That bastard… I knew they was workin' together!"

"Well we don't know that" Miroku added calmly, taking the note before any harm could come to it. "All it says is Totosai owed something to Taisho Enterprises – that doesn't mean either one ordered a 'robbery' necessarily."

"Like HELL it doesn't!" Growling, Inuyasha turned on his heel, pacing away from the desk only to return in a fury of words. "This is just the sort of thing Sesshomaru would pull! No one'll ever be able to pin him for it either! It's just like him to get the mob to do his dirty work!"

"Yes, well…" Gripping the magnifying glass beside him, Miroku took a closer look at the signature at the bottom, though he didn't really need a second opinion to know that scrawl when he saw it. The flowing penmanship of Naraku's name was something he'd seen too many times to ever mistake. "At least we know who's taking the blame."

* * *

*Author's Note:

Hi… it's been a million years since this fic updated…. That wasn't on purpose. I didn't mean to abandon it. I just kinda… got distracted by about a million other Inuyasha fics. Sorry! Short chapter, I know, but at least it's an update. I'm tryin!


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